


The Various Meanings of T'hy'la

by NightOwl1



Series: A T'hy'la Delivered From The Stork [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alien Biology, Consensual Underage Sex, Fabulously Gay Romulans, Family Drama, Fluff, Growing Up Together, Humor, Jealous Spock (Star Trek), Kid Fic, Knotting, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romeo and Juliet References, T'hy'la, Tarsus IV, hot pelvic exams, puberty is awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-08-22 16:40:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 94,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16601696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightOwl1/pseuds/NightOwl1
Summary: Sequel to Special Delivery From The Stork. After Spock created a bond with Jim as a toddler their minds still remained in contact, and various events force their families to compromise so that they can remain together. As they grow up their relationship grows and evolves as well. A series of long one shots as their bond goes from friend, brother, and finally lover. Rating may change.





	1. Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> Sa-Mekh – father  
> Ko-mekh – mother  
> Krenath – Bastard. Literally means “shamed one”.  
> K'war'ma'khon – The telepathic mental vibration of extended family, and the Vulcan people and the planet.  
> Taluhk nash-veh k'dular – I cherish thee  
> Osa-mekh'il – Honorable grandfather  
> Oko-mekh'il – Honorable grandmother  
> Guv-dau Khol-tor – Erotic meditation  
> Ashayam – Beloved.  
> Ashel-veh – Darling.  
> Wuh'rak Abrun – First Erection. As in Vulcan penis biology and puberty.  
> Trensu – Master  
> Mazhiv t'Snovekh – The Sands of Snovekh. The name of the ancient and noble art of calligraphy.  
> Nirak – Fool. Nirak was also the name of a Vulcan soldier that mistook an approaching army for a sandstorm, and didn't tell anyone, dooming his entire fort. His name is synonymous with fool now. Much like how Jezebel is synonymous with whore.  
> Du nam-tor wuh suk nirak heh du vlau! – You are a big fool and you stink!  
> Dif tor heh smusma – Live long and prosper  
> Sochya eh dif – Peace and long life  
> Hamlan – The Great Oasis. A concept of paradise.  
> T'nash'veh sa-kai – My brother

 

 

Part One:

Friend

 

 

 

Spock was 12.205 years of age when he saw his t'hy'la again after their first meeting approximately five years ago. In the years between, their bond remained strong, enough that through meditation and whenever Jim dreamed, they could communicate with one another. This was the only method of communication Spock was allowed, and a secret that by necessity he kept from his father.

It was two years, and two-hundred and sixty days since he had forcibly parted from Jim that he learned that his Comm messages and presents to Jim had not reached their destination. He was approximately nine years of age when his father informed his younger son that, “Winona Kirk has requested you cease all contact with her son. I concurred. For your well-being I must put a stop to this.”

Spock was not pleased by this. “Why?”

“Your attachment to this has become unhealthy and your relationship with a human six years your junior is inappropriate. You have many peers at your school that are appropriate companions. Perhaps T'Pring? She is still unmatched.”

Spock shook his head. “T'Pring is not Jim, and T'Pau declared us unsuitable. I am bonded to another.”

“Jim is not an appropriate mate for a myriad of reasons. You are unmatched still. If you wait much longer a suitable mate will be hard to find. Perhaps we should find the female you are bonded to already.”

Spock was confused. Jim was his brother, his friend. His... Spock paused. His katra whispered _t'hy'la_ to him. It felt right, but logic dictated it was not so. Sybok proclaimed Jim as his t'hy'la and their father said that such a thing was fanciful. Considering Sybok had been banished Father had pressured Spock to be less emotional, Spock could not claim Jim as his t'hy'la. To claim Jim as the one he was bonded to would be meet with disapproval, and Father would never allow Spock to be with Jim. “Jim is not my mate. He is my brother and my friend.”

Spock's only reply from his father was a raised brow. Father and son stared at one another. Spock knew there was no point in arguing with his father further on the issue. Like most other children, Spock went to the other parent when one had said no. Spock went to his mother, who while emotionally sympathetic to his plea, agreed with father. “Spock, my kan-bu... I'm sorry, but his mother has final say.”

Amanda broke down and hugged her son. Spock flinched but allowed the contact. “I'm sorry Spock, I know you're lonely, and I know you like Jim, but you have to see this from his mother's point of view. A boy six years older than her son took her toddler and spent six hours unsupervised with him.”

Spock resisted the urge to cry, he suppressed the deep sorrow that welled up in him. He was Vulcan. He was the master of his emotions. His emotions did not master him. What Spock could not suppress was his need to be with Jim. Spock logically concluded that Jim was as necessary to his existence as food, water, and air. Spock could no longer have Jim through legal means. The answer to obtaining this crucial element to his existence was through less legal means. So Spock decided to resort to using a skill so often used by humans: deception.

For the first time, and not the last, Spock lied to his parents. “I understand your logic, Sa-Mekh, Ko-Mekh. I shall forget my attachment to Jim and find other suitable companions.”

Sarek gave Spock a nod of approval. “I am pleased that you understand.”

Amanda smiled. “Oh, we can help you find plenty of other friends! I know how lonely you must be... How about you make friends with some of the other Ambassador's children?”

Sarek approved of this. “It is beneficial to form amicable relations with other worlds.”

Spock nodded. He needed to go to Earth to take Jim. “As I am half human, it is logical to find a human friend.”

“Why not more Vulcan companions, Spock?” Sarek ask his young son.

“T'Pring is of the minority that does not disparage me for my status as half-breed. I must look elsewhere, most of Vulcan does not tolerate my existence.”

Spock rarely saw any emotion from his father, but for a small moment he saw something resembling guilt and sorrow. “Very well, Spock. Your logic is sound. I will take you to Earth upon my next assignment.”

Spock nodded. “I am gratified. It will also be most beneficial on my research on various native Terran species.”

After that Spock kept silent on the subject of Jim. It was a forbidden name like Sybok in the House of Sarek. The holopicture Spock had of Jim was kept hidden like a great secret. He kept it locked up, and had digital back up in encrypted files on his PADD. He only viewed the physical image of Jim when he was alone and he could not reach Jim through meditation. It was a balm for his katra when he felt longing and loneliness. Jim was his t'hy'la. Jim was essential to his existence.

 

* * *

 

His name was James Tiberius Kirk, and today was his birthday. Today he turned six. He was really excited because it meant he'd be getting cake and presents. His mom was really sad. Jim noticed that she was sad a lot. Especially on his birthday. After cake he got lots of toys, his favorite being a model of the USS NX-1701 that was being made at the shipyard mom worked at. It was from his grandpa Jim. Jim liked his grandpa, but not just because he got him cool presents but because he never laughed at Jim's dreams or his best friend.

Jim's birthday was ruined when he said that someday he was going join Starfleet and become a captain. Mom cried. She stopped crying when she made herself a strawberry smoothie that smelled like cold medicine. Jim's best friend said that she was most likely an “Al Co Hall Lick” and then he said that he needed a better caretaker. Jim agreed. He loved his mom but she was gone a lot and Jim really loves his best friend most of all. He's really smart and the coolest thing ever.

After his mom had her special smoothie, she started smiling again, but she cried when Aunt Jo said he looked just like his dad. Jim sighed. Everyone was sad. He did not know why. Jim looked at his chocolate cake. The candles were burning low. Everyone was with mom in the living room. Jim then made a big realization. His mom was sad because he looked like his dad and dad was gone and she missed him a lot. Jim's second big realization was that he didn't want to live here anymore, not when the stars called to him so strongly, not with Sam whose a big jerk, not with mom who is always sad with Jim around.

Jim thought of a wish. Apparently the deal was that if you blow out all the candles you get a wish. It had to be a good one. He does not remember what his last wish was, but he didn't think it came true. Jim then thought of his imaginary friend, who was also his very best friend in the world. His best imaginary friend who he only saw in his dreams and wasn't here. Jim really wanted him here. “I wish Spock was real.”

Jim blew as hard as he could, and all the candles went out. Jim beamed. “Yay! I get my wish!”

“You know you're not supposed to tell anyone. Otherwise they won't come true.”

Jim turned around to see his Grandpa Jim. He was named after him and treats Jim special because of that. At least according to Sam. “What do you mean, Grandpa Jim?”

Grandpa Jim grunted and his joints popped when he pulled up a chair and sat down. “When you make a wish, you're not supposed to tell anyone. Otherwise it won't come true.”

Jim's heart broke. “So my wish won't come true?”

Jim felt his eyes prick and water. Spock wasn't real, and wasn't going to be. Jim felt his Grandpa pull him into a hug. “Now now, Jim my kan-bu. You didn't tell anyone, just said it aloud. So technically your wish can come true.”

Jim sniffed back his tears. “I'm not a baby.”

His grandpa raised his brow. “I don't remember telling you what kan-bu means... You're momma tell you?”

Jim shook his head. “It's Vulcan! I can speak it! Dif tor heh smusma!”

Jim held up his fingers in the ta'al like Spock taught him. Grandpa Jim was surprised. “That's impressive. You always were a smart one!”

Grandpa Jim leaned in closer. “Let me tell you a secret... My grandpa, my sa-mekh'il, was a Vulcan.”

Jim gasped. “Wow! Really?!”

Grandpa Jim nodded. “The Vulcans don't like to talk about it and like to pretend it didn't happen, but it did. You see, back in 1957 a Vulcan named Mestral crash landed here on Earth. An entire century before our official First Contact with them. Now Vulcans can live for a long time... When my sa-mekh'il took his fourth wife, my grandma... Well long story short they had my pa, and much later down the road and after my sister and two brothers, he had me.”

Jim was amazed. “Wow! That's amazing! So does that mean I'm Vulcan too?”

Grandpa Jim laughed. “Not according to the Vulcans, no. We're too illogical, too human...” he winked at his grandson. “...We just have a little green blood in us. Most the everyone universe is part something, anyway.”

Jim couldn't contain his excitement. “I can't wait to tell Spock! He'll be so surprised! We're really alike! He's half human and half Vulcan! He'll be so happy that I'm part Vulcan too!”

“Spock?”

Jim looked down. “Mom said he isn't real and that only lives in my head. She doesn't like me talking about him.”

Grandpa Jim shook his head. “I'll have to have a long talk with your mom later.”

He patted at his leg, and Jim sat in his Grandpa Jim's lap. He looked around and whispered. “When you were a tot, your mom caught Sam fighting with some other boys on the playground and went to go get him. She left you alone in your stroller for ten minutes while she was trying sort things out with Sam and the other boys he was fighting. Do you know what happened next?”

Jim shook his head. “No...”

His grandpa smiled. “A Vulcan kid picked you up and he must have decided that you were his, so he toted you around for the rest of the day. I heard he got real attached to you, and I know Vulcans. He'll never forget you for the rest of his life, and I can swear that on my grandfather's grave.”

Hope blossomed in his chest. “Who was he?”

“He was the Vulcan Ambassador's son, Spock.”

Jim was blown away. His Spock was real! They can play in real life! “When can I see him?! I wanna see him outside my dreams! I wanna hug him and play with him for real!”

Grandpa Jim sat up straighter. “You still talk to him... In your dreams?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah! We play and talk almost every night, but not every night. Spock says there are time differences between Earth and Vulcan. It's only when I'm asleep and he's meditating or sleeping. Mom says he's not real and Sam says I'm dumb.”

Jim remember this the most about his grandfather, this moment. His grandfather picked up his chin and told him straight in the eye. “Don't listen to them Jim, your dreams are never dumb. I'm willing to bet my very life on this: you and Spock share a very special bond that stretches across the stars. There'll be nothing that can keep you two apart, not for long. You and him are destined.”

Jim asked. “So my wish will come true?”

His grandfather winked. “Yup! Just Comm me next time you and he talks. I'll see what I can do to arrange a playdate, but don't tell your mother. I don't think she'll understand.”

Jim beamed. “That'll be awesome! I'll go to sleep right now!”

Jim bolted out the room, but after a moment he went back in to hug his grandfather. “Thanks Grandpa! I love you!”

Jim's grandfather hugged him back. “I love you too, Jim.”

 

* * *

 

Spock meditated often. More than what is considered average. He spent so much time in the large tree in the center of his very katra, his link to Jim. What started off as a hollow at the bottom of the trunk that Spock crawled through, grew over time into a door that he could walk through at his leisure. Jim's katra was so entangled with his that their mindscapes were beginning to bleed through. What was once a Vulcan desert landscape with dry red sands blowing through now had a few blades of green Terran grass growing from beneath the tree that was his bond to Jim.

Spock often excused himself, saying that he wished to meditate. Acceptable behavior in a Vulcan. It disguised his shameful secret quite well. When he meditated, he saw Jim. It the only time he could be with his beloved brother the stork had given him and had been taken from him by adults who thought they knew better. If anyone knew, Spock suspected they would attempt to sever this link. Spock could not risk having this precious familial bond to his stork-ordered baby brother. He needed it.

Spock had just finished his time in the learning pits, the end-day bell rung. He saw Stonn and his companions heading toward him. Spock walked faster to avoid the confrontation that Stonn always instigated. Spock tired of his insults and yet he persists his attempts to elicit an emotional response from him. Across the hall, closer to Stonn, Spock caught T'Pring's eyes. With relief he saw his ally and research partner intercept Stonn to buy Spock time to escape. Spock heard her voice with his Vulcan hearing. “Stonn. If you are attempting to engage in another act of violence against my research partner, then cease this foolish act at once. I will not let my grade suffer because of your illogical behavior.”

“What we do to the krenath is of no concern to you, T'Pring. He is not your mate. You are a Vulcan female, you would do better with a more superior male who is not tainted with human blood.”

Spock resisted the urge to smile when she told Stonn. “If you mean yourself, then perhaps you should reevaluate your worth. Spock bested you in combat that you instigated, and his test scores are higher. Jealousy is an emotion that you are failing to master.”

Spock saw the exit and walked with a lighter step at hearing Stonn being verbally taken down by the closest he had to a friend on Vulcan. He would express his gratitude to T'Pring tomorrow. He heard Stonn call his name and Spock walked faster and slipped past the exit. Spock could not afford another physical altercation with him. Once he left the Learning Academy he slipped into the streets of Shi'Kahr and disappeared into the crowd. Spock was relieved. He successfully avoided Stonn for another day.

Spock paused in his steps as he felt the welcome tug on his katra. It was Jim. He wanted to play with him. Spock suppressed the feeling of joy that threatened to display itself on his face. To display emotion in public was indecent. Spock looked around and noticed that he was not far from the Surak Memorial Garden. A most adequate place to meditate.

Spock found a private and secluded spot under the red curtains of an ancient indukah tree. The red leaves on swaying branches in the desert wind served as a veil of privacy. This tree was one of many here in this park, with many other Vulcans and a scant few non-Vulcans finding their centers under other trees. Spock sat lotus style and slowed his breathing as he entered his mindscape.

In his mind he visualized an oasis in a desert, with his katra as the water in the oasis. In his katra swam the emotions Vulcans were taught to keep buried beneath the surface. In Vulcans, these waters ran deep, and their emotions larger and more difficult to contain. Spock saw his ka-ta-pek, his Inner Chorus, the personification of his emotions as fish swimming beneath these waters. Serenity and stillness on the surface of the waters, and beneath a daily battle of life and death played out as one emotion fought to break the calm, and reign over the other. Each Vulcan visualized their mindscape differently but all had this similar pattern.

One fish, one emotion that Spock always found himself weak to, glided close to the surface, Valdena, The Maiden, personification of love, beauty and joy. She danced with scales and fins of glowing gold and Volkaya blue eyes that reminded him of Jim. Spock gave her a warning look as she kissed the surface, creating a barely perceivable ripple. She retreated only a little with a smile like Jim's.

Spock ignored the tempting beauty of Valdena, letting her dance close to the surface as concentrated on his bonds, his links to family. He felt other bonds at the edge of his katra, like the small desert succulent tir-nuk trees that grew on the edge the oasis of his mind. If Spock stretched his senses he could feel the k'war'ma'khon, the mental vibration of his clan, his people, and of the billions of other Vulcan minds in the distance. Spock, however, was interested in only one mind.

At the very center of his own katra, was one bond. It grew in the center of the waters like a small island. It appeared as a towering tree that was neither Terran nor Vulcan, but elements of both, like two trees entwined together and fused permanently. Its canopy of red Vulcan leaves and Earth green leaves sheltered and stretched over the waters of his katra and into the blanket of stars above. Its thick roots stretched down deep into the bottom of waters, where they ended he did not know. At the base of the tree trunk was the door that led to Jim's mind, to his t'hy'la. What started as hole that he had to crawl through, grew into a door that he could leisurely stroll through.

Spock touched the door, feeling Jim's desire to connect to him, a pulsing, not unlike a mental knock. He opened the door and stepped into Jim's mind with practiced ease. Though they were worlds apart, the roots and passageways of their bond connected them. His consciousness flew through a tunnel of golden light and silver-blue threads that was Jim's katra woven with his own. Even through the vast distances of the cosmos their minds could still call out to the other and be heard. Jim was not experienced enough to be able to utilize this connection and step into Spock's mind, but he knew how to call to Spock.

Jim's mind was light, rolling grassy hills, a cool swimming hole, fields of corn, and a blue sky filled with large puffy white clouds uncommon on Vulcan. Sometimes the hills were made of ice cream, and sometimes the sky was dark and poured out an ocean of rain. This place was constantly changing and never boring. A Vulcan might find the mercurial nature of this mind too chaotic, but one could not deny how utterly dynamic it was. Spock felt a flash of pride that he was the only Vulcan who touched this place. Jim was his, and his alone.

Spock's admiration of his favorite mental retreat was pelted by a child of golden hair and stunning eyes with a color he had only seen in precious Volkaya stones. Jim smiled and its warmth was like the sun. “Spock! I missed you! Today was my birthday! I'm six now!”

Spock displayed his joy at seeing Jim. In the privacy of their minds, he was allowed his some emotional freedom. “I have noted your absence as well and I am most gratified that you were born. I believe the proper human phrase is... joyous birthing day.”

Jim giggled. “You always talk funny! I like that about you.”

Jim hugged Spock and Spock hugged him back, their joy transformed the mindscape into a kaleidoscope of colors. He could not smell Jim but to touch his mind and thoughts was better than not having him at all. “Spock! Guess what I learned?”

Spock raised a brow. “I cannot guess. There are too many thoughts coming from you to pinpoint a single one. It is a joyous one that I am certain.”

Jim erupted into a story that his grandfather told him that he was part Vulcan. Spock slowed Jim down. “Picture the memory clearly, so that I can see it.”

Spock saw the memory play out clearly in the reflection of the pond at Jim's feet. It was a most interesting memory. Spock had not heard of this but made a mental note to research Mestral and crash landings on Earth in that time period. If the revelation that Jim had Vulcan blood was true, then that made Jim somehow even more perfect than he already was as a companion. A hybrid like Spock... The thought made his entire being ripple with joy. Spock was told that he was alone in the universe, but that was wrong. He had Jim. Beautiful, dynamic, Jim. No matter his what his genetic make up.

Spock's katra sang with joy and hope as he saw that they had an ally to assist them in their reunion. Spock could stand with Jim physically... Even to hold his hand was a desire that took hold and clung to Spock. The notion was a tempting one. “Jim, your grandfather can really help us meet?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah! He says he'll help us! I really want to play with you again. Did you really play with me in person? You're not my imagination?”

Spock's lips twitched. “I am very real. As I have told you before. We share a bond. It is through this bond that we can communicate in this manner. My body is on Vulcan, but my katra is, and always shall be, touching your katra.”

Jim struggled to understand, but he was always very intelligent for a human child his age and has proven this on many occasions. “Katra... That's my soul, right?”

“Indeed. It is our living spirit.”

Jim frowned. “I want to be with you for real, and play and do fun stuff.”

Spock assured him, touching his mind and sending waves of his fondness for him. “We will. Come Jim, I will teach you how to use our bond to communicate with me without the need to sleep. I believe with practice we can send our thoughts to each other while we are awake.”

“Okay!” Jim scrunched his eyebrows, deep in thought. “Is it like a brain email?”

Spock found the comparison amusing but not wholly inaccurate. “In a way.”

“Cool! I wanna send you brain emails all the time!”

Spock failed to suppress his smile. “I would be most pleased to receive and send you... brain emails... with great frequency as well.”

Jim giggled. “Yay! Can we play Sehlat eh Le-matya after?”

“Ha.”

Yes. Jim hugged Spock, his Vulcan was becoming adequate. “Taluhk nash-veh k'dular, Spock.”

I cherish thee, Spock. Jim's love wrapped around Spock's katra like the most welcoming of blankets. Warm and lulling Spock with its comfort. Spock embraced it eagerly. “Taluhk nash-veh k'dular, Jim. T'nash-veh t'hy'la.”

I cherish thee, Jim. My t'hy'la. Spock sent Jim waves of his fondness and affection for Jim. Their bodies may be separated by sixteen and a half light years but their minds and katras still managed to touch one another. It was the only thing about their situation that Spock found tolerable. “Jim. I will convince my father to let me come with him to Earth on his next visit. I will inform you of the results.”

“Your dad has to say yes!”

Spock nodded. “I will make my best attempt. Come let us play.”

They played their favorite game, and as usual Spock let Jim tackle him into the soft grass. In this sanctuary he did not suppress his joy, he did not need to with Jim. Valdena reigned supreme and Spock saw her flying through the sky in Jim's mindscape with another like her. They entwined and danced around each other. Jim felt Spock's joy ripple through him and Spock felt Jim's joy as intensely. They were together.

As it always was, their time together ended too soon. Spock knew he spent too much time in here when he felt his synapsis light up with pain. Someone was attempting to bring him out of his meditation. Spock's consciousness was being pulled from Jim. “I must go. Someone is waking me. Jim, remember what I told you about meditation. Our bond is here and my mind is through that door. Just knock on it and hopefully I shall be able to come to you.”

Jim sniffed and tried not to cry. “Okay, Spock. Promise you'll see me for real soon.”

“I will endeavor to do so.”

 

* * *

 

Leaving Jim was always hard but necessary. The passing of time was difficult to determine and if he was not careful could spend more than four hours with Jim. He did that once, and fortunately his parents did not notice. Spock knew that one was not supposed to spend too much time meditating, it risked neglecting one's physical health.

So as usual Spock walked through the door under the great tree in Jim's mind, an identical twin to the one in his own mindscape. It was a well trodden path to him. Once he was on the other side, he roused himself from his deep meditation by letting himself float. Darker and darker it got and then his awareness of his surroundings returned. He opened his eyes. He was back in the Surak Memorial Garden, but he was laying on the ground and he was not alone.

Several Vulcan elders were standing over him, one of them he recognized as his second forefather, Solkar. An elderly woman wearing the robes of a Kolinahr master was bent over Spock with her hands withdrawing from Spock's psi points. Spock grew concerned by the additional presence of a Vulcan police officer. Spock blinked and looked at Solkar. “Osa-mekh'il? What is the matter?”

Solkar's ancient face cracked and displayed concern, a scandalous lapse of control. “You were deep in meditation for a long time, Spock. Others had noticed and logically concluded that it was best to rouse you given how long you had been under. It was fortunate that I was nearby. For the sake of your health I gave permission to a Kolinahr master to mind meld with you to safely rouse you. I would have done it myself if it were not for my condition.”

Spock's eyes widened. His great grandfather found him and had a stranger mind meld with him because Solkar has had Bendii Syndrome for many years. His great-grandfather cannot meld safely with anyone anymore. Spock looked at one elderly woman who wore the robes of Kolinahr master. She the one who went into his mind and pulled him from Jim. “I am Kolinahru T'Sai. I apologize for the breach of your privacy, young one. Logic dictated that your health take precedence and the honorable Solkar was legally able to grant me permission as your clan's patriarch. Are you aware of exactly when you began meditation?”

Spock's inner clock turned back on. After a momentary pause he realized that he had been out for a long time. “Seven hours and forty-two minutes.”

Kolinahru T'Sai raised her eyebrow by half a centimeter. “That is far longer than what is considered healthy for one of your young age.”

Spock's body reminded him that he needed nourishment. His PADD, which had been turned off, flooded with messages from his parents, who must have been justifiably concerned. Spock looked at the elders. “I wish to express my gratitude to you all for your intervening on behalf of my wellbeing.” Spock looked to the Kolinahr master. “I forgive you for invading my privacy. Your motives were logical Kolinahru T'Sai.”

T'Sai nodded. “Your gratitude is appreciated but unnecessary, young one.”

Solkar eyed his great-grandson and Spock knew that he was in trouble. “Officer Sek, I will escort young Spock home now where his parents await his return. She who is my wife will no doubt wish to discuss his meditation practices. Live long and prosper. Come Spock.”

Spock stood up and went to his great-grandfather's side. He had to put more effort in concealing his fear. He was in trouble with the highest authority in his family. Spock felt the gazes of Vulcan elders staring strangely at him. One elderly man who, judging from the gold emblem of Snovek on his robes, was a master of ancient calligraphy and poetry. He bowed his head to Solkar. “Lord Solkar, will the honorable Lady T'Pau examine the boy to confirm what Kolinahru T'Sai has seen?”

Solkar regarded the man with some annoyance. “If what Kolinahru T'Sai saw is what she hypothesizes it is, then yes it will be confirmed and no doubt made public.”

Spock suppressed his panic, but to these elders his fear was plain to see. Spock asked, “Have I offended thee, Elder?”

The elder gazed at Spock with a gentle expression bordering on obscenely displaying open emotion. “I am Trensu Sen. It is I who has caused offense, young one. I have been in meditation under an adjacent tree to yours. You had been meditating for a long period, and I eavesdropped.”

“You were concerned for my health. It was logical...” Spock felt fear rising and concealed any display of it. “What did you see?”

“Your bond with another mind stretching out into the cosmos, seeking it. What katra could be so strong that it pulls you from a great distance?”

Spock had a faint touch of green on his cheeks. “He is my...”

“Your t'hy'la?”

Solkar and the other elders stared at Trensu Sen disapprovingly. Spock froze. “I am not supposed to use that word. It is forbidden.”

Solkar cocked his head. “Why is that, Spock?”

“Father said it has strong emotional connotations and it is myth not fact. The only uses I have found of the word are in pre-reform literature...” Spock's cheeks tinged green at some of the passages mentioning the word t'hy'la. His father did not want Spock to read much pre-reform literature, particularly after Sybok was banished. “The word's meaning has many variations.”

Solkar put a hand on Spock's shoulder. “It will be a long discussion we will have with the rest of our family. I must take Spock home now, Trensu Sen. He has meditated too long and is in need of nourishment.”

Trensu Sen nodded. “If your house has need of t'hy'la banners, I would be honored to create them.”

Solkar's lips thinned. “Your offer is generous, and your skills are well known among our people, but it is premature to declare the discovery of a t'hy'la pair. Live long and prosper, Trensu Sen. Come Spock, our family is awaiting us.”

Spock followed in his great-grandfather's steps, and kept up with his pace. The other elders watched Spock leave with great interest. When Spock and Solkar were alone in the back seat of one of the many transports Shi'Kahr had, Solkar put up the privacy screen. He turned to his great-grandson with a scowl. “Spock. Do not mention your t'hy'la bond to anyone outside our family. When you wish to communicate with him do so in an isolated meditation room like the one you have at home. The Surak Memorial Garden is for connecting with the k'war'makon, the psychic vibration of our people, it is not private.”

Spock frowned. Everyone saw a glimpse of his bond because of the location of where he chose to meditate. His room was private but not under an indukah tree in a park. “Is T'hy'la a cursed word, osa-mekh'il?”

“No, my child. In ancient times, t'hy'la pairs were a blessing, however the rarity of such pairs in modern time, can cause much controversy and debate if it is discovered, particularly in our house. It make call into question many founding ideals in our society because it is a concept of pre-reform times and you are of the House of Surak, father of logic. Do you understand my hesitance?”

Spock did not quite understand. What little he knew of t'hy'la was that it was a bond between warriors. In his own clan, S'Chn and T'Gai were the founders and the namesake of his clan, and the parents of Surak. They were said to t'hy'la and stopped their clans from warring with their marriage. Surak was born from their peace. T'hy'la sounded like a good thing, it brought peace and Surak to Vulcan in an era of turmoil and strife. Why would have a t'hy'la bond with Jim bring strife? Spock shook his head. “I do not understand, osa-mekh'il.”

Solkar sighed. “When we reach my home, she who is my wife, T'Pau, will explain it to you. After of course your bond is examined and confirmed to be what Kolinahru T'Sai claimed it is. If it is not a t'hy'la bond, severing your bond will be discussed given your unhealthy attachment and activities it has caused.”

Spock stilled and remained silent. Spock found himself experiencing symptoms associated with fear. Increased heart rate, tense muscles, and his mind was looking for possible escape routes from the shuttle they were in. It was illogical to fear seeing his oko-mekh'il. T'Pau would not sever his bond with Jim without his consent, but she does have the ability.

Spock displayed an illogical behavior today of meditating for too long and too deeply. A true Vulcan would rightfully call his attachment to Jim as unhealthy and logically call to sever the bond. Spock assured himself that she could not sever it if he did not want her to, but the possibility remained, and so did his fear of losing his only connection to Jim.

 

* * *

 

As Spock predicted upon arrival to the home of his great grandparents, T'Pau and Solkar, he was met by his parents. Amanda as typical of a human, was overly emotional, and hugged Spock when she saw him. “Spock! My little kan-bu! I was so worried! What were you thinking?! You were late coming home from school and we feared the worst! Thank god Solkar found you!”

Sarek was as stoic as ever, at least at first. Spock saw his relief in the exhale and the muscles of his father's face relaxing. “My son. You are well?”

“I am father.”

Sarek turned to Solkar. “Grandfather, I thank you for your assistance in returning my son.”

“It was only logical to look after the well-being of one's descendants.”

Solkar spotted T'Pau watching Spock with curiosity and extended his two fingers for her which she returned. “My wife. You received Officer Sek's report of what happened?”

“Indeed. Spock had been in a deep meditative trance for seven hours and forty-two minutes. A dangerous act for even one with greater experience and skill. Come in. I have prepared nourishment. Spock has neglected his body. When he has eaten, he will explain why he has performed an act that goes against what I have taught him, nor given notice to his parents of his detour from school.”

T'Pau stared at Spock with a barely perceptible scowl and he knew that he was in trouble. T'Pau was furious with him. Spock silently marched into T'Pau's dining room, sat at the table and ate his plomeek soup with no complaint. His parents, and great-grandparents watched Spock eat in silence. They didn't take their eyes off of him, not even when sipping their tea. It was most disconcerting. The tap of Spock's spoon when he put it down seemed abnormally loud. The silence was broken by T'Pau. “Have thee received enough nourishment?”

Spock wanted more, but he did not feel like eating. He had the illogical urge to run and stow away on the first ship going to Earth and find Jim. They could become pirates. The idea has appeal. Spock realized they were waiting for his response. “I have.”

“Good. Now explain why thou has allowed thyself to do something so dangerous. Have I not warned thee not to remain too long in thy mindscape?”

“I was not in my own mindscape. I was in another's.”

Eyebrows raised all around. Solkar explained. “Due to my Bendii Syndrome I gave permission to a Kolinahr master named T'Sai to mind meld with Spock to rouse him from his deep meditation. She told me of some abnormalities while she was melded to him. Spock was communing with a mind that was not on Vulcan.”

T'Pau's sharp intake of breath may as well have been her jaw dropping. “Is this true?”

Spock nodded. “Yes, Oko-mekh'il.”

Sarek looked at his son with concern. “Spock, who have you been communicating with?”

Spock deflected. “My brother.”

“Sybok?” Both of Sarek's eyebrows shot up. He may as well have jumped up and shouted.

Spock shook his head. “No. The one I ordered from the stork with a bag of Earth potato based snacks. The one I asked to visit, and was denied on multiple occasions.”

Spock saw the pieces click in place in his father's head. “James Kirk, the son of George and Winona Kirk. Did you mind-meld with him?”

“Affirmative.”

Sarek's nostrils flared briefly for one second. Spock had never seen his father so angry with him. “I had asked you that day if you melded with him. You said no. You lied to me.”

“I did not. You asked me if I formed a mating bond. I believed it to be a familial bond at the time. Technically, I did not lie.”

Spock stared up at his father with defiance. There was nothing Vulcans loved or hated as much as technicalities. The tension between father and son was broken by T'Pau when she firmly commanded them. “Enough!”

Spock and Sarek turned to T'Pau, their family's matriarch. She looked between them and then eyed Sarek. “Sarek, son of my son. Does thee remember the failed bonding ceremony between Spock and T'Pring?”

Sarek nodded. “You said his mind rejected hers because he was already mated. His mind called to another.”

“And in the four years, eight months and one week since that day, did thee ascertain the identity of Spock's mate?”

Sarek's cheeks had a faint hint of green. “No. Spock said nothing when I asked him. When I asked again he said he did not have a mate that he knew of. I did not ask a third time.”

T'Pau turned to Spock, and he felt smaller than what he already was. “I remained silent because I believed father would attempt to sever my bond with Jim and make me marry T'Pring... Or banish me like Sybok. I also did not see Jim as a mate, I saw him as a friend and brother. I am ignorant of what mating bonds look like.”

T'Pau looked back at Sarek. “A deep mind meld with your son would have revealed a mating bond.”

Sarek's cheeks burned with shame. “I never mind melded with my son, at least not since his birth.”

The adults in the room stared at Sarek in a mix of disbelief in anger. T'Pau, most of all. “Fool! All Vulcan parents meld with their children, why does thou deny thy son?”

Spock had never seen his father look so ashamed. “Spock was emotionally compromised. I believed that melding with him would have tainted him farther.”

Amanda glared at her husband. “Tainted?! Giving your son a mental hug and showing him that you love him, is emotionally compromising?! Sarek! Our son was late coming home from school! I had to get a notification from the police that he was being escorted to T'Pau's home by Solkar. Worse, we had find out from a Kolinahr master who was just passing by that Spock may have a t'hy'la bond! He could have meditated himself into a permanent coma! He could have died! All because you're afraid of a little intimacy?!”

Sarek wore the same expression I-Chaya often had after being caught eating something he wasn't supposed to. T'Pau remarked, “Amanda is not wrong, Sarek. I too find thy actions to be disappointing.”

Spock knew Father was no stranger to angering Mother, but it was a memorable moment to see his father anger T'Pau. Spock had never heard his great-grandmother utter such harsh words. Sarek attempted to give his wife a finger kiss and alleviate her ire toward him, but she pulled away. “Ashayam, please...”

She snarled at him, “Don't Ashayam me, mister. If you don't get over whatever hang ups you have about a little emotional intimacy with your son, then you won't be getting any intimacy of _any kind_ from me. Ever.”

Sarek paled at the unspoken, but clearly implied, threat of leaving him all alone at his next Pon Farr. “I realize that I have made a grave error, and I will fix this.”

“See that you do Sarek.” Amanda replied.

Sarek looked at his grandmother and before he could ask, she cut him off. “You know where my meditation room is. Go and rectify this.”

Sarek nodded, and turned to Spock. His cheeks slightly green and his stance stiff and almost awkward. “Spock, I would like to... meld with you.”

“Do I have a choice?”

Sarek frowned. “You always have a choice, Spock. I apologize if I have made you... _feel_ less.”

Sarek spoke the word “feel” as if it was Aunt T'Pell's homemade c'torr burning his tongue. Spock heard the words physically hurt his father to say. Spock wondered if what he had done was really so significant. “Very well, father. I presume you wish to see the bond I share with Jim, and confirm its existence?”

Sarek nodded. “I do.”

Spock stood up, and followed his father to T'Pau's meditation room. When they left and the door clicked. T'Pau, Solkar, and Amanda were left alone. After a moment of silence, Solkar broke it. “Amanda, now that Sarek and Spock are occupied, do you have the goods?”

Amanda smiled and took out briefcase. She put it on the table and opened it with a dramatic click. Inside was several pounds of illicit goods banned on Vulcan. “I've got cocoa powder, truffles from milk to dark, English toffee, baking bars, chips for melting, and finally one family size bottle chocolate syrup. So what'll it be?”

T'Pau raised a brow at her husband. “Ashel-veh. Is this where you have been getting your most unusual tea from?”

Solkar nodded. “The humans call it hot cocoa. I developed a taste for it in my years as Ambassador to Earth.”

Amanda smirked at her in-laws. “So, shall I make three cups of hot cocoa?”

Solkar's ancient face almost cracked with excitement. “With extra marshmallows in mine. Shall you be indulging, my wife?”

T'Pau almost rolled her eyes at her husband, but she was Vulcan, and Vulcan did not roll their eyes no matter how tempting. “I suppose I must, given what chocolate does to you.”

Solkar almost smiled. “It is medicinal. It allows me to engage in Guv-dau Khol-tor despite my advanced years. Chocolate has made my Bendii Syndrome manageable.”

“And makes me sore in the mornings. If you are to indulge then it is logical I do as well.” T'Pau quipped.

Amanda almost cracked a few ribs trying not to break down laughing or gasp in horror. In a way she thought it was sweet that her grandparent-in-laws were still... active in their two-hundreds, but the thought was also horrifying. A giggle escaped from Amanda's mouth and she covered it quickly. “It is too bad Sarek won't be joining us. He too gets as... interesting after indulging in chocolate.”

“Affectionate and physically tactile is how best to describe him.” T'Pau slyly remarked, and glanced at her husband. “Where do you think Sarek gets it from?”

Solkar's face had a hint of green after his first sip of the illicit cocoa. “I heard of the incident at the Founding Day celebration in San Fransisco. I believe someone mixed up his chai tea with a chocolate latte?”

Amanda giggled. “He acted like a cave man, growling at every man that called me beautiful, and he even carried me off like one!”

After a few sips of the very illicit substance of hot cocoa, the two Vulcans and one human broke out into a fit of giggles. They discussed how illogical the males and the youth of their species could be, and Solkar became quite affectionate with T'Pau, making Amanda blush fiercely. For Amanda it was like looking at an ancient wrinkled mirror of her husband. She wondered briefly if Spock takes after the men of his family when it came to chocolate.

 

* * *

 

Once more Spock found himself dragged off by an adult who thought they knew better. Spock realized as he was led to the familiar sight of T'Pau's meditation room, that perhaps most adults did not know better. They were for a majority of the time, merely improvising.

Spock's newest revelation was made clear as he sat across from from his father over T'Pau's ancient fire pot. His father sat and stared awkwardly across from his son. Spock knew his father melded with him once, he had to at least once to form a parental bond. Spock could not recall. He must have been an infant. Spock felt as awkward as his father. “Father?”

“Yes, my son?”

Spock was concerned what his father would think of when he saw his mind. “Do you not meld with me because my mind was too human? Is my very existence repugnant to you?”

Sarek came to as close to shedding tears as Spock had seen. He could feel the sorrow emanate from him. Sarek was ashamed. “No my son. It I who is ashamed... Perhaps it is time that I show you what I dare not display for all the world to see. In the only acceptable way a Vulcan is allow to share emotions with others.”

Spock nodded and allowed his father to place his hands upon his psi points. Spock gasped as he felt the sorrow and guilt wash over him like a tidal wave from his father. Spock felt his father's fear that his son may have killed himself by meditating too long and too far. Guilt, all his fault that Spock reached to dangerous heights. Then finally, came love for his son. For Spock. His father's voice echoed in his head. “My son... Forgive me for ever making you doubt that I cherish you.”

Sarek pulled Spock to his own mindscape and Spock saw the oasis of his father's mind. Wider, and older with deeper waters. Spock saw stumps of old broken bonds at the edges and others still growing. Spock saw his bond with his father grow from a stunted almost dead shrub into a sapling with new life. Already the neglected parental bond was being strengthened and renewed the moment Spock stepped into the center of his father's katra. Spock looked at the dead stump of where Sybok's used to be with pity. That parental bond will never be renewed.

Spock looked at the center of his father's katra where he spotted two trees growing on the island in the center of the oasis. The two entwined trees outstretching their branches toward one another, some branches even fusing together. One was a Vulcan indukah tree with red leaves, the other appeared as a Terran tree with deep blood green leaves. Together their trunks formed an arch one could walk under. “This my son, is my marriage bond with your mother. Do you know why I call her Ashayam?”

Spock knew the answer, his father already told him this once. Amanda translated meant beloved. “You told me father. Ashayam is literally her name.”

Sarek shook his head. “No. I call her beloved because I love her. Emotions run deep in our race, we can not deny their existence even though we wish it otherwise. I told you that to hide what I feel for her, to hide my failure. I feel so much emotion for her as many Vulcans do for their mates.”

Spock looked at their bond. “That is your mating bond with mother?”

Sarek nodded. “One's mating bond is at our very centers. Our kind evolved our telepathy because it was so hard to find a mate in Vulcan's vast deserts. It ensures that we can find our mate no matter the distance and are able to return to our mate when the Pon Farr comes. With bonding, it ensures protection against rivals, and with scant resources it was logical to have only one mate to concentrate breeding efforts. That is the evolutionary purpose for our telepathic abilities; for mating.”

Spock absorbed this new information. He had suspected his bond with Jim was not entirely familial. Jim was not just his friend and brother. Jim was also his mate. His bond with Jim was in fact a mating bond. “I apologize Father. I have lied to you. I did form a mating bond with Jim. I did not understand what it was.”

“You were a child, and in many ways you still are. You did not understand then. The failure lies with me for not teaching you.”

Spock looked at the entwined trees. They were smaller and they were not so entwined that their was no separation between them. “My bond with Jim does not look like yours, Father. The tree is larger, and does not form an arch.”

Sarek cocked his head and Spock felt his curiosity. “I would like to see it, if you will allow me.”

Spock took Sarek's hand, and felt their shared consciousness shift in the meld. The mindscape changed from Sarek's older and more crowded mental oasis to Spock's. It was young with fewer bonds and a smaller pool of water representing his younger mind. Spock felt his father's shock and awe ripple through their meld at the sight of the enormous tree at Spock's center. “This is your bond with James Kirk?”

“It is, Father. See that door?”

Sarek gasped at the sight of it. “You are able to walk into his mind? Even from a great physical distance?!”

Spock nodded. “It has become easy to be with Jim. I knock and he feels my desire to communicate. He does not know how to meditate, so I must walk into his mind while he sleeps. Is that not a normal occurrence among bondmates?”

From Sarek's expression it was not. Sarek stepped closer to the tree, inspecting and looking down at the roots dug deep in the water and the branches stretching out into the sky. Sarek reached up and touched one branch and images of two men appeared into the water like an old faded recording. One was Vulcan and the other human. The human reminded Spock of his Jim. Their hands touching and separated by glass, both desperate to have the barrier removed between them. _“I have been, and always shall be... Your friend.”_

Sarek reached up and touched another branch. Same two men and yet they were not. They were younger. The Vulcan had long hair, gold ornaments and the build of a warrior. He was like a living relic from pre reform times. He touched the same, and yet not, human as in the other scene. Spock recognized this human as his Jim, but he was not. They were engaging in a passionate finger embrace, the Vulcan's eyes and very being was burning. “...My t'hy'la...”

Sarek blushed and quickly let go. “You are too young to see that. I have been here too long. Come Spock, we must awaken.”

Sarek pulled out from the meld. Spock was no longer standing in his mindscape but sitting across from his father in T'Pau's meditation room. “What were those images?”

Sarek shook his head, looking lost. “I do not know.”

That was troubling. His father did not have the answers. What was more troubling was the possibility that his father would forbid him from seeing Jim. “You will not sever my bond with Jim will you?”

“By Surak's grace, no! I cannot, will not, do such an abominable thing!”

Sarek reached over the fire pot, and grabbed Spock by the shoulders. “My son, you have something rare and very sacred among our people. You and Jim are t'hy'la.”

Spock frowned. “Sybok said that we were t'hy'la. You said it was a fanciful thing and that I should stay away from Jim.”

Sarek almost broke down. “You overheard our argument... Sybok was correct. I was a fool. Forgive me my sons, I have failed you both.”

“What does t'hy'la mean?”

Sarek straightened up. “It has several meanings. Friend. Brother. Lover. It all of these things and yet not a single one fully encompasses the depth of t'hy'la. Even the Terran term of 'soulmate' does not do it justice. Your Jim, your t'hy'la is the other half of your heart and soul. There is no bond deeper or more treasured than that of t'hy'la. It is strong enough to overpower even our biology.”

Spock did not know this. “Our biology? You mean I will mate with Jim someday? Like all Vulcans.”

Sarek shook his head. “If that is your choice, you can, it is even expected, but you have that luxury of that freedom. You are blessed with a t'hy'la, you have someone who can break through the madness of pon farr. Our ancestors, the parents of Surak, went into pon farr and challenged the other for the right to mate with a woman. Instead of killing their rival and mating with the female, in the middle of combat they stopped and mated with each other. They found true peace with each other, and was able to rebel against the fires that burn within us. They took each other as a mate, and conceived Surak, a child of a t'hy'la pair. Such pairs when found are kept together and cherished.”

Something resembling hope blossomed in Spock's side, making his heart beat slightly faster. “Will I be able to see Jim again? In the physical world?”

Sarek solemnly nodded. “I promise I will do everything in my power to reunite you with James Kirk. With the confirmation of your t'hy'la bond, the two of you cannot be allowed to remain parted. Our history tells us that t'hy'la bonds that are not acknowledged and protected end in tragedy, while those that have always produced our greatest minds. Surak being the most notable. No Vulcan will allow such a blessing be neglected.”

Spock could not conceal excitement.“Does that mean he can stay with us? I can have a baby brother?”

“If he is willing and custody gained, then yes. He will live in our household. I shall prepare a room for him next to yours.”

Spock smiled. He could not suppress his joy. The thought of Jim living with him, to share the same roof as him was enough to make him intoxicated. “Jim will say yes! He does not like living with his mother. She is an alcoholic and is emotionally unstable around Jim due to the death of her mate and Jim's birth coinciding with her mate's death. Jim stated that as the reason why she leaves him in the care of others frequently.”

Sarek paled. “Your t'hy'la... His caregiver is an alcoholic and emotionally unstable? A sacred t'hy'la bond in the care of an irresponsible human?” If Spock did not know better he would have thought his father might go into cardiac arrest. “This is most unacceptable.”

 

* * *

 

When Sarek and Spock returned to the living room, they came upon an unexpected scene. T'Pau and Solkar were flushed green, and Amanda was giggling non-stop. They all had mugs of a substance that smelled suspiciously like Earth chocolate. Solkar was also, to Sarek and Spock's shared horror, engaging in a passionate finger embrace with his mate T'Pau. Sarek turned green at the sight and covered Spock's eyes immediately. “You are too young for such things.”

Sarek was completely scandalized by his grandparents. “Grandfather. Grandmother. You are both displaying... _Emotion_.”

Solkar pulled away from T'Pau slightly. Their fingers were still touching but their were no longer unseemly stroking each other's palms. He looked at his grandson with amusement. “Sarek, you are no better with your human wife in the privacy of your own home.”

Amanda sipped her hot cocoa with a smile. “So Sarek, have you inspected Spock's bond.”

Sarek's cheeks had a hint of green to them as he tried to forget that he had just witnessed his own grandparents doing the Vulcan equivalent of passionately making out. He would have to meditate on this later to try to repress the scarring sight of it. “I have. It is a bond unlike any I have seen before. The bond is sealed down to the very roots of his katra, and stretches over it and all of his other bonds like a barrier. There is even an easily accessible passage between Spock's mind and James Kirk. Further more, I believe it may stretch into alternate universes where they are similarly bonded. It can be nothing else but a t'hy'la bond. Severing it is impossible.”

They sobered up quickly. T'Pau stood. “Then this other child must be brought to Vulcan. We cannot declare them t'hy'la until then.”

Solkar stiffened. “Trensu Sen, the head of the Mazhiv t'Snovekh Institute, volunteered his services to create t'hy'la banners to hang in our home. No doubt the possibility of a t'hy'la pair in our clan will spread.”

Amanda raised her brow at that. “Trensu Sen? He's one the greatest masters of calligraphy of our age. What does he have to do with this?”

“He was meditating under an adjacent tree, he noticed Spock's katra was communing with another at great distance. He was the one who noticed how long Spock had been in meditation and alerted the police.” Solkar eyed Sarek. “It is a small wonder Sarek did not notice Spock's behavior sooner. This is not the first time Spock meditated deeply for over the safety limit.”

Sarek hid his embarrassment well. “I respect my son's privacy. Eavesdropping telepathically is a crime, but given that I am his father some supervision was expected of me.”

Sarek being the diplomat that he was, deflected the subject of his failure as a parent. “However, that does not mean strangers should not divulge our clan's private business. I will meet with Trensu Sen for his promised commission and ask for his silence... Now that Spock's t'hy'la bond is confirmed.”

Amanda raised a brow. “I thought Vulcans didn't gossip?”

“They do not.” Sarek said. “We only pass valuable information, and the discovery of a t'hy'la pair is most valuable.”

Spock looked between the adults. “When can I see Jim?”

They all looked at each other. Sarek assured his son. “I will arrange for a transport to Earth soon, and contact the mother of James Kirk for a meeting.”

Spock perked up. “Jim said his grandfather will arrange a meeting. He said to contact him. His name is James Davis, and he is a retired Starfleet officer.”

Sarek nodded. “I will do so at once. Given how late it is, we must rest. Grandfather, Grandmother, may we intrude upon your home this night?”

T'Pau and Solkar nodded, and went to their bedroom to retire for the night. Amanda stood up. “Guess I'm making Plomeek soup in the morning. Spock, you get to help me with the kreyla bread, since your father is banned from doing any actual cooking since he can't cook to save his life. He burns even water.”

“I am capable of boiling water for my own, Ashayam.” Sarek quipped.

“Good. Then you make the morning tea for everyone, Ashel-Veh.” Amanda replied. It was not a request.

Spock followed his parents into the guest room to clean up and get ready for bed feeling much lighter. He would be able to see his Jim soon. His t'hy'la. His mate? Jim as his mate. Spock lay back in his great-grandparent's guest bed, wide awake in thought. He was not the only one awake. The guest bedroom was not far from his great-grandparent's bedroom. Spock winced as he heard strange sounds coming from there, moaning and gasps. Even Spock knew what those sounds meant and the thought horrified him. Spock would not be sleeping tonight.

Spock saw that his father was also awake. His mother was snoring softly. Spock and his father locked gazes. Spock mumbled, “I find myself wishing to have inferior human hearing.”

Spock and Sarek shared a wince as they heard a rhythmic thumping. Sarek grimaced. “I share your sentiment. Your mother is fortunate not to have Vulcan hearing.”

“Why are they engaging in such behaviors? Surely it is not to procreate... Is it?”

Sarek found himself in the unfortunate situation of sexual intercourse's other purpose to his twelve year old son because they could hear his grandparent copulating in the other room. Sarek wished that nerve pinching oneself was anatomically possible. “It is a meditative practice they are engaging in...” Sarek paused awkwardly. “It is... for bonded couples only. You will receive the texts when you are old enough to be engaging in that particular style of meditation.”

Spock blinked. His great grandparents were meditating? It sounded dubious to him. Spock wanted proof. “When will that be?”

“After your Wuh'rak Abrun.”

Spock turned green. He knew the mechanics of the changes his body would go through in puberty. He saw anatomical charts in school and knew that his own reproductive organs were Vulcan. It was said that male's Wuh'rak Abrun gave a Vulcan male a taste of what his pon farr would be like as his body became ready and able to mate. Spock found the concept of Vulcan biology to be horrifying at times and did not see why Vulcans would willingly go through such a process if it was not necessary, but clearly there was a secret benefit.

“I find that do not wish to know.”

Sarek agreed. “That is wise.”

Neither still could not sleep. The noises in the other room prevented that. “Father? Can we not ask them to cease?”

“No. In the family, all is silent. Nothing more will be said. We are guests, and it is not our place.”

In other words, just pretend not to hear anything. Spock wrinkled his nose. “But Grandmother and Grandfather are not being very silent.”

Sarek sighed. He was not satisfied by the lack of silence in the house either. “No, they are not... Just be patient. At their advanced ages it will not be long, and we will have silence.”

Sarek turned over and used his pillow to put over his head in an attempt to muffle the sounds of his grandparents having sex in the next room. Spock did the same. If he focused his mind on other things, he could ignore it. Eventually he heard his father finally obtain sleep, judging from the purring sounds emanating from his father.

Spock still could not find sleep and his thoughts drifted to what he had learned. The most startling discovery was that he had a mate. He had not given much thought on having a mate beyond the fact that someday he may not be spared Pon Farr and would be forced to take one. His peers at school often ate lunch with their bonded, and occasionally Spock observed them sneaking quick finger kisses. Spock imagined doing that with Jim. It was not an unpleasant thought. It was in fact a most attractive idea. It took awhile for Spock to finally fall asleep, but he finally did.

 

* * *

 

Jim woke up this morning excited and full of hope. Spock said he was real and was going to find a way to see him for real. Jim believed Spock. Jim felt sad that no one believed him. Except Grandpa Jim. He believed him and that was why he was his favorite grown up. He was nice and didn't yell at him or ignore him for so call important grown up things.

Jim went downstairs and saw Sam and Uncle Frank, and his mom was rushing out the door with a bagel in her mouth. She ruffled Jim's hair and kissed him on the cheek. “Bye, Jimmy! Mommy's gotta go to work! Some idiot left a peanut butter sandwich in the warp coil during the nightshift and mommy has to go fix it.”

Jim pouted. “You said you'd take me to get ice cream after school.”

“Sorry sweetie! Your Uncle Frank will do that.”

Uncle Frank wasn't happy about that. “What?! Why do I have to take the squirt?”

Winona snarled at him. “Because, oh baby brother of mine, you lost another job and are living on my credits. When you're bringing home the bacon, then you don't have to stay home and watch the kids. Behave, I won't put up with your crap like mom and dad did. Now keep this house at least one step away from a pig sty, and make sure the kids don't kill themselves. Not that hard, Frank.”

Jim shrunk back and watched his mother slam the door. Jim peeked out the window and watched as his mother's hover zoomed off. Jim didn't like it when Uncle Frank watched them. He was kinda mean. Jim slumped at the table and went to eat his cereal. To Jim's utter displeasure the box of Galaxy Sugar Bits was empty. “Hey! Who ate all the cereal?”

Sam took a big smug bite of his bowl of cereal. “You snooze, you lose, Dum-Dum.”

“Stop calling me that! You're a nirak! Du nam-tor wuh suk'nirak heh du vlau!”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Uncle Frank! Jim is speaking gibberish again!”

Uncle Frank swatted the back of Jim's head. “Speak normal, Jim. This is why you don't have friends at school.”

“But Sam ate all of the Galaxy Bits! I'm hungry!”

Uncle Frank grunted and rolled his eyes, and slammed down a box of Raisin Bran. “We have other cereal. Eat up.”

Jim scrunched his face and stuck his tongue out at the box of the most disgusting cereal ever invented by mankind and was still around for some reason, even after centuries of grossing kids out through the ages. “Eww! I'm not eating that!”

Uncle Frank shrugged. “Then you're not hungry enough yet. Eat or you go to school on an empty stomach.”

Jim pushed the Raisin Bran away, and crossed his arms. “I hate it here. I wish I could go live with Spock. Vulcan has to be better than here. You guys suck ass.”

Sam quietly cowered away from the table as the overloaded phaser that was their uncle went off. Uncle Frank turned purple with rage, and grabbed Jim by the collar of his shirt. “Now listen you little punk! Let me tell you something about Vulcans that my dad never told you! They may be smarter, and stronger than humans, but they ain't got no feelings, and no soul! They're a bunch of cold robots and if you so much as show a slip of some decent humanity they'll boot you off of Vulcan like they did my dad's grandpa!”

Jim started to cry, but Uncle Frank didn't stop. “See? That right there they hate. Laughing, crying, those are all emotions, things they don't have. Your little imaginary friend, even if he is real, doesn't love you. Vulcans don't have the capacity. You'd be just a whiny dumb little human to him. A nobody. Less than the dirt on his boots. So wake up from whatever stupid dream you're having and suck it up to reality.”

Uncle Frank threw the box of Raisin Bran at Jim. “Now either eat your damn cereal or go to school hungry.”

So Jim went to primary school without breakfast. He hated Sam and he hated his Uncle Frank. He missed Spock, he only seen him once since the night of his birthday. It was April now and his birthday was almost forever ago, like over a week! Spock said that he'd be coming to Earth and that they'll get to live together. All Jim could do was wait. Jim told himself that Uncle Frank was wrong, and Spock would show up and he could leave this place.

The teacher herded the kids for the first class of the day and turned on the holoprojector of some guy shaking hands with a Vulcan. Jim perked up. Jim loved Vulcans because Spock was a Vulcan and that made Vulcans cool. No matter what Uncle Frank said about them. They weren't cold robots. Jim knew at least one of them was warm and nice. “Okay children, today is a very important day, and do you know why?”

One girl shouted, “It's First Contact Day!”

The teacher smiled. “That's right Sally, today is April 5th, First Contact Day! On this day one hundred and seventy-nine years ago, we learned that we were not alone in the universe. The man who broke the warp barrier, Zephram Cochrane met the first extraterrestrial humans have ever encountered, a Vulcan named Solkar, and they shook hands... Yes Mr. Kirk?”

Jim was jumping up and down with his hand in the air. “My grandpa says that Vulcans crash landed in 1957.”

The class laughed. The teacher cleared her throat. “Well, I've heard that story too, however, not all of humans realized that they weren't alone in the universe. That incident was the first time Vulcans met humans, and the reason why they've looked out for us until we were ready. We celebrate the other way around, when humans met Vulcans and the rest of the galactic neighborhood. That happened a century later in 2063. Now then, who can tell me how Vulcans greet each other?”

Finnegan who was always causing trouble snickered, “Why don't you ask Jim, Mrs. Doubtfire? Since he loves Vulcans so much, he's got one for a boyfriend. What was his name? Spork? Speck?”

The class laughed when Finnegan made kissing sounds. Jim growled, “Shut up Finnegan!”

Jim was about to launch out of his seat when the teacher stood between them. “I'll not tolerate bullying in my classroom Mr. Finnegan. Since you clearly don't care for Vulcans, then perhaps I shall be sending you to the principal office instead of the field trip to the Interplanetary Cultural Museum in San Fransisco. Consider yourself off the field trip. Now march.”

Finnegan glared at Jim and marched to the principal's office. Once order was restored the teacher addressed the room. “Now I emailed permission slips to all your parents forms to take the shuttle that will be leaving soon. So everyone go out to the hoverbus in a single file.”

Jim was about to go with the other students when the teacher stopped him. “Mr. Kirk, your grandfather is here to chaperone.”

Jim heard his grandfather come in. “Jim my boy! Surprise!”

Jim ran up to his grandfather and hugged him. “Grandpa Jim! You're coming on the field trip?! That's awesome!”

His grandfather ruffled his hair. “Yup. And I've got a surprise for you.” He turned to Jim's teacher. “Jim and I will be making a detour.” His grandpa winked at Jim. “I've used my Starfleet connections to meet with a few friends so Jim and I may be taking off.”

The teacher grinned. “Oh?”

“Yup. It's a surprise for Jim, I suppose all of you will see. Come on Jim, it's a forty minute ride to San Fransisco by shuttle. I want to hear more about this friend of yours, Spock.”

Jim bounced up and down and talked his grandfather's ear off. Jim didn't notice his grandfather sending messages on his PADD to someone at the Vulcan Embassy. His grandfather did get a little angry, but not at Jim, he told him about Uncle Frank yelling at him. His grandfather patted Jim's head and said, “Don't worry Jim, I'll have a heart to heart talk with that no-good son of mine. Today you just have fun.”

 

* * *

 

Spock was looking at the Earth outside the observation port, his hands and nose pressed tightly against the transparent aluminum and his breath fogged his view. He could feel it. The connection to Jim growing stronger. He was on the planet below somewhere. A while ago he felt Jim's distress. That was unacceptable. Spock's very being vibrated with the need to go to Jim. His t'hy'la. Jim needed him.

His parents stood behind him. He heard his mother whisper to his father. “He hasn't moved from that spot for the last hour, and ever since you've been monitoring his meditations, he's been pining for Jim. He's like a twelve year old Vulcan Romeo.”

“I hope not, given how the story of Romeo and Juliet end.” Sarek replied.

Amanda was still worried. “I do too, but from what Commander Davis told us about his daughter... Commander Kirk did not want our son around hers. He's even keeping their reunion a secret from her. She is that boy's mother, I'm worried about Spock if she insists on keeping them separated.”

Spock clawed his fingers against the screen. “Jim's mother will not separate us. I will not allow that. I will challenge her in kal'i'fee as is my right.”

“Spock.” Sarek's voice cut through the rage that was growing within him. “It is likely that we will compromise with Commander Kirk, and win only visitation rights and not full custody. You must prepare yourself of that possibility.”

Spock did not want to share Jim. “Jim is my t'hy'la. My mate. I will not tolerate any rivals, he is mine.”

Amanda blinked and covered her mouth to muffle her gasp. “Spock... Honey. Jim is only six. He is too young to understand these things, and too young even by Vulcan standards for a childhood bonding ceremony.”

Amanda's heart broke seeing the sorrow threatening to break through his stoic Vulcan exterior. “Mother, are we not going to Earth so that I can have Jim?”

Sarek paused before speaking. “My son, we will discuss a bonding ceremony with James Kirk's grandfather. Your t'hy'la bond must be acknowledged. It is why T'Pau and Solkar are leaving Vulcan together for the first time in over seventy years. Because of certain circumstances the ceremony must be done quietly, but also with the proper decorum such a rare event deserves.”

Amanda looked at her husband in shock. “Wait, are you going to get our twelve year old son and a six year old human boy, married in secret, without telling the kid's mother?”

Sarek stiffened. “As you humans say, sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness then permission. A t'hy'la bond cannot remain unprotected or unacknowledged. If custody of the child cannot be gained, which is likely, a betrothal will suffice. Under Vulcan law, James Kirk will be Spock's mate and will gain Vulcan citizenship and the protection of my house. While betrothed, James may live with his birth family until such a time when he is ready to consummate their marriage while satisfying honor on both sides.”

Spock saw what his father was thinking. As a Vulcan citizen, if Jim chose to run away to the Vulcan Embassy and ask for asylum, the Federation could not forcibly remove him without breaking many treaties. Jim could live on Vulcan with Spock. All Spock had to do was declare his intent to marry and hope Jim said yes. They could be quite content together and share in a fulfilling marriage. Spock needed to court him, but he was at a loss as to how. His father courted a human, he might know. “Father?”

Sarek raised a brow. “You have a question. Ask it.”

“How does one court a human?”

Amanda burst out laughing. The Vulcans stared at her. After she wiped a tear from her eyes, she told her son. “Spock, my little kan-bu, don't ask your father. He's clueless. I was the one that had to hold his hand all the way through our first date, and Jim is too young to be courted, I know most Vulcans are betrothed by seven, but Jim is human and he's _six_.”

Spock flushed green. “You and father held hands on your first date? Will I have to do that with Jim? I am not sure I am ready to take such a bold step with him.”

Sarek calmly explained to his son, “Hand holding is different for humans. It is not so much an intimate a gesture as it is for us. I should also add that you are not yet ready to be engaging in such behavior.”

Spock wanted to protest that he has seen his age mates in school holding hands with their betrothed ones. Stonn's companions even did it with their betrothed when Spock was nearby just to gloat that at least they weren't unbonded like the half-breed. It irritated Spock that he had no mate when all the other males in his class had one. Even Stonn had one, even if he does not engage in finger kissing with her. Sarek most likely knew of this fact, and the fact that Jim was six years his junior complicated matters for them. Spock would have to be patient, but he did not have to like it.

Amanda saw her son, and was reminded of a little mini-Sarek. So smitten with a human with his poor attempts to conceal his true feelings and bulldozing his way into courting attempts to win his crush's heart. Sarek had two left feet, was an emotionally constipated dork of a mess, and yet the man tripped over her azaleas in the most romantic display she had ever seen.

Sarek stood outside her bedroom window in the middle of the night gracefully playing a pre-reform serenade on the ka'athyra because he saw it in an Earth movie with a human boy holding a device called a “Boombox” to win his intended. All while he was covered in mud and scratches, and wearing his best robes that had been ruined. Sarek kept playing the hauntingly beautiful song, even after enduring the cursing from Amanda's neighbor's who had to work early shifts.

Sarek was not deterred, not by his peers and his family telling him that marrying a human woman was illogical, and not by Amanda's family who thought Sarek was too cold for their daughter. Amanda smiled at her son. “You are much like your father, Spock, but don't play the ka'athyra outside Jim's bedroom at one in the morning. You'll get arrested, like your father.”

Sarek thought on that memory of the scandal he caused, the Vulcan Ambassador getting arrested for disturbing the peace. His diplomatic immunity meant that he did not get arrested, but let off with a warning. “I was not arrested, but I did receive a fine.”

Spock raised a brow at his father. “Was is successful?”

Sarek nodded. “Indeed. Amanda came out of her domicile after the authorities fined me and your mother then proceeded to engage in intimate human kissing in public. That night I mated with her and in the following morning I filled out the necessary forms to declare her my legal spouse.”

Spock took note with great interest. “Father, I brought my ka'athyra along with other gifts I believed Jim might enjoy.”

Sarek nodded sagely. “I will help you practice. While you have not attained my level of mastery, you are more than skilled enough to impress a human child. What other gifts have you brought for James Kirk?”

Spock attempted to contain his pride and excitement. “I have selected a number of items that are sure to impress Jim, but I am unsure which to present to him first. They are in my cabin, I will show you.”

Sarek and Amanda followed Spock, Amanda dreading her son's choices of gifts. When Spock took out the contents, Amanda put her palm against her head. She was right to worry. Her son was just like his father.

“I have a ceremonial lirpa, and an ahn-woon. I have the pelt of the le-matya that I made and used as shelter during my kahs-wan. I also have a selection of paper books, all of it in ancient Vulcan with a focus on the topic of pon farr and t'hy'la to help his vocabulary and learn of our ways, and what may be expected of him later when we consummate our bond. I am also told that pre-reform literature appeal to the tastes of humans.”

Sarek approved. “Traditional and logical choices.”

Amanda pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Her son's idea as gifts to bring his little crush validated her claim that Spock took after his father. Weapons, the pelt of a venomous creature Spock killed in self-defense, and books that for the most part were illegal to be in the hands of outworlders. Amanda blushed at some of their contents, some of them made Lolita and A Clockwork Orange seem tame by comparison, mostly because of Vulcans have a tendency to be graphically precise. “Ashayam, you are giving our son bad ideas... And isn't Spock a little young to read those?”

Sarek lifted an eyebrow. “It is illogical to shield knowledge from our children, particularly that pertaining to our history. The Gates Of Valdena, and Suklok's Folly are graphic but important examples of t'hy'la.”

Amanda stared at her husband. “The Gates of Valdena is a glorified sex manual and Suklok's Folly is good but it's so violent and has graphic sex scenes with... a man and his... Sehlat.”

Spock read these books, they were morally dubious but informative if one remembers the savage era they were written in. Spock looked at all the gifts he picked out with concern. Would Jim not like them? What if he rejected Spock's declaration of marriage because of a bad gift? Spock's insecurity must have been made plain for his father to see. “Spock, your gifts are traditional for a mate, but since your intended is human and quite young, it maybe best to defer to your mother's advice.”

Amanda looked at Spock's gifts with appraisal and sadly the le-matya pelt seemed the least offensive or dangerous. “Maybe if we clean up and get any last traces of the le-matya's venom, then perhaps the pelt would be the best gift for Jim... Spock you've been reading an awful lot of pre-reform poetry when you thought this gift, haven't you?”

“Affirmative. I read everything I could find on t'hy'la bond pairs. The most choice of gifts for a fellow warrior was the pelt of a le-matya. Fortunately I had one and did not throw it out. Also I have cleaned it thoroughly. There is no venom.”

Sarek relented. “He took the life of the le-matya to save his own. It is only logical that its body not go to waste. A primitive gift it maybe, but traditional. We must observe the customs of t'hy'la bonds when possible.”

Amanda always found the pelt to be disgusting, but human boys loved gross things. Then she thought of another idea. “Hey I know! How about you practice on your ka'athyra? Or perhaps we can get Jim a PADD with your number in it? That way you two can talk face to face where ever there's a signal.”

Spock perked up. “That is a most acceptable idea!”

Sarek agreed. “If the child does not already possess one. It would be a safe way to communicate with his t'hy'la than dangerously stretching their katras at such great distances. I will have Soren order one for us.”

A Vulcan came up to Sarek and informed him that they would be disembarking soon. Spock gathered his ka'athyra and his le-matya pelt. His heart raced in his side. He would be seeing Jim soon. Suddenly he felt an illogical urge to groom himself and run back to his cabin to find better robes or borrow his father's cosmetics to sharpen his eyebrows or cover the slight blemishes on his cheeks. Even as he stepped onto the transporter with his parents and his great grandparents, he repressed his illogical fears that Jim would somehow reject him. Jim yearned for him, Spock could feel it. Spock would not be unwelcome.

 

* * *

 

Jim and his grandfather arrived in San Fransisco. Jim couldn't stop gawping at the sight of the buildings and so many aliens walking on the streets. There weren't a whole lot of aliens in Riverside so seeing so many in one place had him in culture shock. When they reached the station where they'll be transferring to a bus that'll take them to the museum, Jim saw all kinds of aliens and people walking around. He was gasping and bouncing with excitement at all the new things, when suddenly he felt something that made him stop in his tracks. ' _Jim.'_

Jim got off the transport with his grandfather and looked around and around. He heard Spock. He knew he did. His grandfather asked, “What's wrong, Jim?”

“I can feel Spock.”

His grandfather blinked, and looked shocked. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised, not after what the Ambassador told me. I guess this just cements it.”

“Cement what?”

His grandfather smiled and winked. “Come on, I told some friends we'd meet them in here at the station, and Jim?”

“Yeah?”

“I ain't a magic fairy, but I'm glad I was able to make one wish of yours come true.”

Jim was confused. “What wish?”

Jim was about to ask about what his grandfather was talking about when he saw a group of Vulcans. The rest of the class was staring at them too. Then Jim's heart skipped a beat when he saw the shortest of the group of Vulcans. He was a boy older than Jim wearing a fancy black dress with pretty gold letters on them like the rest of the Vulcans, and had that funny bowl cut like most of them.

Jim knew straight away who that older Vulcan boy was. Spock. He could feel it. His world seemed to slow down as the older Vulcan boy turned around and their eyes locked. His eyes widened when he saw Jim, and then they both knew that they recognized one another. They stared as they felt the world fade away into the background and their souls sang in pure joy. “Spock!”

Spock's Vulcan stoicism was broken in an expression of such overwhelming happiness that he could not control his reactions to seeing the one person he longed for the most. “Jim!”

The two of them broke into a run at the same time, ignoring any and all public propriety. Jim didn't care that his teacher was hissing at him to stay with the group or that his entire class stopped and stared. Spock didn't care that his family was most likely scandalized by his illogical outburst of emotion or that his mother was recording this entire thing. They didn't care that they were out in front of a crowded museum with gawping onlookers staring at this unusual couple. In this moment they only cared about each other. They slammed into each other in a tight embrace, and desperately clung to one another.

Jim was crying because he was so happy. Spock was real. He could touch him and smell him and taste the dust on his fancy dress. Most importantly he could hug him and feel how warm he is and how his whole body vibrated with static electricity wherever their skin made contact. “You're real. You're not imaginary.”

Spock knew that his own emotional display was beyond obscene to his Vulcan kin that were present, but he did not care. Jim was here and was in his arms. Spock reveled in the sensation of having Jim in his arms. From the strong chaotic emotions, to the stench that was the norm for a human boy, and the feel of Jim's tears and other fluids getting onto his best robes were as overwhelming as they were wonderful. “I am real. It is most pleasing to see you in the physical plane, Jim. I apologize for my delay. I am here now.” Spock combed his fingers in Jim's hair feeling the dynamic mind tingling beneath his fingertips. “I am here, t'hy'la.”

After a moment, Spock finally was able to rein in his emotions, but he could not, nor did he desire to, let go of Jim. He turned to his family with what little of his dignity that was left, and with Jim's hands still firmly clasped to his and said as stoically as he could said, “I apologize for my indecent emotional display.”

They exchanged looks with one another, and eyed their clasped hands with raised brows. After an awkward pause, his father finally said. “The cause was sufficient. We will not speak of it again.”

Jim was human and was vibrating with joy as he clung to his favorite Vulcan in the entire universe. He looked at his grandfather, “Grandpa Jim! It's Spock! Spock is here! My birthday wish came true! Did you make it come true?”

His grandfather smiled. “Sort of. It was Ambassador Sarek who contacted me. I was a bit surprised, but...”

Grandpa Jim paused when he looked at the other Vulcans. Ambassador Sarek was not the only high profile figure that was here. Sarek's brother, Selik, a minister on the Vulcan Science Council. Skon, the previous Ambassador and is famous for translating Surak's teachings to Standard and his wife T'Rama, a well-known diplomat herself, were also present. _The_ Lady T'Pau who pretty much spoke for all of Vulcan and her husband, Solkar were probably the most high profile of them all.

T'Pau was the only person in Federation history to refuse a seat on the council, and was considered to be Vulcan's spiritual leader being the current keeper of Surak's katra. Solkar was the man who made First Contact with Earth on First Contact Day, and served as the Vulcan Ambassador for years and making his first public appearance in many years. It was no wonder that a lot of people were stopping and staring. That and the presence of Vulcan ceremonial guards holding lirpas escorting these important figures drew some stares. “I suppose me and the Ambassador will be having a talk in private... So we can arrange for you and Spock to hang out more often, right Ambassador?”

Three Vulcan men of varying ages stared at him. The most ancient and wizened Vulcan anyone had ever seen elaborated. “Three of us have had the title of Ambassador. To which of us are you referring to?”

“All of you, I guess.”

Jim looked at the Vulcans with curiosity, Spock was so far the only Vulcan he remembers seeing and he's only seen Vulcans in pictures. Spock felt his curiosity and switched to Vulcan, confident in Jim's vocabulary. Spock felt his mind easily now that they were close. _“Jim, may I introduce you to my family. My father Sarek, my mother Amanda, and that is my father's brother Selik. That is Skon, my grandfather, and that is his wife T'Rama, my grandmother. And this is grandfather's parents, my honorable grandmother T'Pau, and my honorable grandfather Solkar.”_

Jim proudly spread his fingers in a V shape and gave them a proper ta'al and the Vulcan greeting that Spock taught him. “Dif tor heh smusma. Nash-veh James Tiberius Kirk.”

They returned Jim's ta'al. Spock puffed up his chest a little with pride. In the years of Spock reaching his katra to Jim and teaching him, Jim had become fluent for a human. Clearly his t'hy'la was ready for his new life with him on Vulcan. Spock father looked impressed and gave Jim the proper reply. “Sochya eh dif, James Kirk.”

Jim's teacher dropped her jaw. “Mr. Davis, can your grandson speak Vulcan?”

“Oh yeah. His first word was Spock, and we had to get a translation of his vocabulary. Didn't speak a word of Standard til he was four. Jim learned it all from his Vulcan friend, Spock... He's been quite the influence on my grandson.”

Solkar raised a brow. He had heard of the Stork Incident years ago where Spock kidnapped a human child under the misconception that he was his new brother. Now that he knew that Spock had been stretching his katra across lightyears to connect with Jim, Solkar had been curious of the effects it had on the human's development. It was a most intriguing discovery and judging from the way every Vulcan present, who undoubtably knew that they were t'hy'la were interested in studying this human child. “Indeed? I am interested in learning more of what influence my great-grandson has had on James Kirk.”

Jim looked at this really old Vulcan with the same curiosity he'd been looking at Jim. He was the oldest guy Jim had ever seen. He looked even older than his grandpa. Spock said his name was Solkar, that named sounded really familiar. Then Jim remembered that it was the same name as the First Contact Vulcan dude. He tugged on Spock's sleeve. Spock looked at Jim, and Jim heard Spock but his mouth did not move, and Jim felt Spock's amusement. ' _Yes, that is him. He was the Vulcan who shook hands with Zephram Cochrane and made Earth aware of the intergalactic community.'_

Jim gasped out loud and stared at Spock's great-grandfather. “Wow, he must be really old then!”

Jim's teacher hissed angrily at him. “James Kirk! That's incredibly rude! Don't you know who that gentleman is?! Haven't you paid attention in class at all this week?! That is Solkar! Ambassador, I apologize for my student's behavior.”

Solkar calmed her down. “There was no offense given, madam. This child speaks the truth. I am quite old, even by Vulcan standards, it is illogical to deny this fact.”

“How old are you, Spock's Osa-Mekh'il?”

Solkar's eyes smiled though the rest of his face was Vulcan blank. This child was aesthetically pleasing as well as honest, curious and bold. He would make for an excellent mate for Spock someday, despite his human blood. “I am 239.267 precisely.”

Jim's jaw dropped. “Wow! I wonder if I'll live that long!”

“Doubtful. You are human.” Solkar saw Jim expression change, and the human child frowned. “It is not the quantity of years that is important but their quality. Already in your in young life you share a bond with Spock that many Vulcans do not have nor will they ever. Cherish it.”

Solkar felt weak and desired to sit. He was too old for public outings, and it was only with T'Pau's assistance in shielding his mind that he could make this one last trip and see a t'hy'la bond be acknowledged and in his bloodline no less. Solkar watched as Jim and Spock talked on and on, but not aloud. Solkar turned to Sarek and spoke in Vulcan, “Sarek, I wish to see their t'hy'la bond be confirmed in my lifetime. When can we hold the ceremony?”

Sarek nodded, and asked Jim's grandfather. “Commander Davis, can you and your grandson come with us to the Vulcan Embassy? There are things to discuss in private.”

The old man nodded. “Of course, Ambassador. Jim, we're going to the Vulcan Embassy with Spock and his family. Tell your teacher and your classmates bye.”

Jim nodded and his teacher was excited by his grandfather's surprise. “Your grandfather knows when the shuttle leaves. Your homework is to write a report about what you've learned about Vulcan culture, and cherish this experience. You get a rare opportunity to learn from some of Vulcan's finest citizens that so many can only dream of.”

The teacher turned to Jim's grandfather. “Commander Davis, my class and I thank you for this once in a lifetime opportunity. This was quite the magic rabbit you pulled out of your hat! Jim, be sure to do that report and take pictures when allowed.”

“Okay Mrs. Doubtfire!” Jim to the astonishment of many of his classmates, spoke not in gibberish as they thought but now knew it was Vulcan. “Spock! Can we play when we get there?”

Spock inclined his head and responded to Jim in Vulcan. “Yes, come. I have many things to show you.”

 

* * *

 

Jim bounced up and down, as he followed Spock and his family to a shiny hover limousine, where a Vulcan chauffeur opened the door for them. It was black and really fancy and had little flags on it with that IDIC symbol on it. The inside was even more impressive, and it smelled a lot better than his mom's car. Jim sat next to his grandfather and Spock took a seat next to Jim. It was all so cool. When they arrived at the Embassy Jim's jaw dropped at the big building and all the Vulcans inside.

Jim followed Spock to his room while the grown-ups talked in private. Amanda told them, “Spock, go show Jim all your things while we talk about the ceremony.”

Spock nodded and showed Jim all the stuff he had brought from Vulcan to show Jim. Jim was blown away by the lirpa, and the ahn-woon. Jim wanted to play with them, but Spock stated that they were heavy, but if Jim was careful he could touch them. Jim lost all interest in the lirpa he was attempting to pick up when Spock showed him a big green fuzzy blanket. “Here Jim, this is a present for you.”

Jim looked at the green fuzzy blanket, which turned out to be the pelt of a ferocious beast. “Woah! What is it?”

“A le-matya... Or at least it was a le-matya.”

Jim's jaw dropped. “Cool! How did you get one?”

“I killed it during my kahs-wan. My test of maturity that I had to take when I was seven. It followed me for three days. I knew it was the mate of another le-matya that attempted to kill me several months prior when I first attempted my kahs-wan. On the morning of the fourth day I trapped it and killed it using my knowledge of chemistry to make primitive gunpowder.” Spock rolled it out and showed a few spots that were slightly charred. “That is where the gunpowder hit, and I skinned and cleaned it using an obsidian knife I made. I then used its skin for shelter and warmth for the remaining six days of my test in relative comfort.”

Jim stared at his Vulcan friend in awe. “Wow! You're so awesome!”

Spock wanted to smile and his lips twitched. “It is yours.”

“You're giving this to me?!”

“Affirmative.”

Jim hugged the pelt. Jim could see the le-matya's fangs and claws. It was soft and warm and so awesome like Spock. It was also sure to scare Sam. What could be scarier than a real le-matya? Jim couldn't speak it was so cool. That was why he was glad that he didn't have to with Spock. _'I get gifts? Are they late birthday gifts?'_

Spock was not sure how to respond. _'Vulcans do not celebrate the day of one's own birth. It is a day to remember when calculating one's age but it is not something we consider worth gathering and celebrating.'_

Jim was shocked. No presents? No cake? Jim felt bad for Spock. His Vulcan friend's voice washed over him in his head. _'Do not feel bad for me. My mother gives me a small gift on my birthday and makes me a small carrot cake. We Vulcans do celebrate other things, like today my family is celebrating our reunion. Our bond is quite special among my people.'_

Jim kept hearing that. He didn't know why being such good friends with Spock was so special. “Why are we special? And why are the grown ups talking about us? I know they are, they keep looking at me funny.”

Spock was unsure how to answer that. His father always taught him that shielding the truth from children was illogical, but how would Spock begin to explain to Jim that they were here today to become betrothed? Spock sat down next to Jim and wrapped the le-matya skin like an oversized blanket. “Our bond, the way are minds and our katras are linked is very strong. It is what is known as a t'hy'la bond. In ancient times it was a bond between warriors, and it was stronger than anything else. It is also rare and cherished because my ancestors, S'Chn and T'Gai had a t'hy'la bond. They ended a big war because they realized that they were t'hy'la.”

“So the grown-ups are making a big deal because we're destined to be best friends?”

Spock nodded. “Yes. Our t'hy'la bond is proof of the existence of destiny. One way or another we were destined to meet and become friends. My family wishes to celebrate that and protect you from people who do not understand our relationship.”

Jim hugged the pelt closer. Everyone who he told about Spock and how they play when he dreams thought that he was crazy. Even his mom, didn't like it when Jim talked about Spock. Jim wondered if he would be in trouble when his mom found out that he played with Spock instead of going on the field trip with the other kids. “My mom doesn't like you. What if she won't let me play with you?”

“Your mother will have to compromise. That is what the koon-ut-la ceremony is for, so your mother will have no choice but to accept me.”

Jim scratched his head. Child bonding is what the words sounded like in his head. Were the adults going to glue him and Spock together? Jim had the image of him and Spock with their hands super-glued. “Okay, but when they glue us together, make sure they use my left hand, I need my right hand for coloring and eating Galaxy Bits.”

Both of Spock's eyebrows shot up. “Glue? There is no adhesive involved. Koon-ut-la is a marriage, but less and more than just a betrothal. We will be married but not really married all the way. The real marriage will come later when we are both adults.”

Jim's six year old logic tried to process this. Marriage was a grown up thing. “Like playing house? So which of is going to be the wife?”

Spock gazed softly at his t'hy'la. “You may be whatever you wish to be.”

Jim beamed brightly at Spock. “Okay! Then I want to be the captain!”

“Captain?”

Jim nodded, very confident in his decision. “Yup! I wanna to be the captain of a starship and explore the galaxy!” Jim dug into his little backpack and took out his little model starship his grandpa got him. It was a model of what the Enterprise was going to look like when it was done. “Here is my ship!”

Spock took the model. It appeared to be a prototype of one of the new Constitution Class ship that was in the works. It was an ambitious project from what he had heard. Spock knew his father expected him to join the Vulcan Science Academy, and work on a Vulcan science vessel, but now Spock wondered about Starfleet. As a human, Jim would not be allowed to join the VSA. Spock would begin consideration the option of joining Starfleet, especially if Jim planned to join. “An ambitious career choice. I will assist you Jim.”

“You will? I'll need a first officer on my ship! Will you be my first officer?”

Spock let his eyes smile. “Yes Jim. Will you be my captain?”

Jim nodded and paused in thought. “Oh we're going to be married, right?”

Spock nodded eagerly to which Jim asked, “Okay, so that means we're gonna have to kiss and stuff right?”

Spock flushed a deep green from the tips of his pointed ears and down to his neck. “Affirmative, that is involved in koon-ut-la ceremonies... Did you want to...” Spock found it difficult to speak. “To practice?”

Jim puckered up his lips and Spock held up his first two fingers. Jim looked at his fingers in confusion. Spock explained, “Vulcan do not kiss like humans do, lips to lips. We touch finger tips.”

Jim blinked and held out his two fingers like Spock. “Like this?”

Spock swallowed, chanting a mantra to cast out fear in his head. His first real kiss, and it was to be with Jim, his t'hy'la. Joy and fear wanted to reign over him. Slowly Spock nodded and extended their fingers until their tips touched. Spock felt a spark ignite between them. Jim gasped. “Woah! Do you feel that too?”

Spock nodded and felt emboldened and continued the kiss, and slowly entwined their fingers. He had never done this before, and hope Jim did not find his technique lacking. Jim asked, “Is this Vulcan kissing? It's kinda funny but it's nice too.”

Spock's breathing quickened and his heart raced in his side. “It is better than I have ever expected. Can I... Keep going?”

Jim nodded and rubbed his fingers back, to get more of that funny tingling sensation in his fingers. Jim then pressed their palms together, and Spock gasped. “What is it?”

Spock was breathing funny. “It feels... Most unusual, but not unpleasant. How about you?”

“Tingly. Funny, but kinda good weird.”

Spock swallowed and broke off the kiss. “That was... Kinda nice.”

Jim agreed. “I think I like this better than lip kissing. Less gross, less spit.”

Spock found himself agreeing. “Does this mean we can... exchange finger kisses? As a bonded pair?”

“You mean like be married and touch our fingers?”

Spock nodded. “Yes.”

Jim nodded. “Okay, but I get to be the captain, and you'll be my first officer. We'll explore new planet and meet aliens, and we'll finger kiss because we'll also be married.”

Spock could not suppress the joy he felt and gave Jim a rare smile. “Affirmative... My captain. That is most agreeable.”

Jim jumped up and declared. “Okay Spock! First order of business is exploring! We're on a strange planet with unknown aliens!”

Spock raised a brow. “We are at the Vulcan Embassy on Earth.”

“No we're not. We're on Planet X, Earth is far away and we're alone.”

Spock decided to go along with this new game Jim had come up with. “Very well... Captain. We appear to be stranded on an unknown M-class planet and all communication with our ship has been cut off. What shall we do next, captain?”

Jim looked around and pointed at the le-matya pelt discarded on the bed. “Look! It's an alien creature the size of an elephant with fangs as long as me! Oh! And it's hungry! It's got eyes that can shoot phaser beams at us, and can fart fire!”

Spock thought this a rather fascinating aspect of his mate's behavior. Jim was creating a scenario with no prior experience or knowledge. Le-matya did not have any of the characteristics that Jim had described, and it did not to Spock knowledge produce flaming gases from any orifice, much less its posterior. Spock took note and decided to observe. Somewhere along the way Jim decided that Spock was going to be the science officer too. “You're really good at science stuff! You'll be my First Officer and my Science Officer!”

Spock did plan on going into the sciences. It had a great amount of appeal. Jim then proceeded to construct a defensive fort using two chairs and a blanket to defend themselves from “The menacing Oogie Booger Monster” and the new alien that has shown up. Jim constructed this monster using Spock's green robes, a coat hanger, and a fluffy white scarf his mother knitted for him. This new alien was, “Oh no! Spock! It's a space vampire and it drinks... Salt!”

Spock raised a brow. “A salt vampire? I do not believe they exist.”

“Sure they do! There's one over there! It'll drain your blood for your salt!”

“Then I am relatively safe. Vulcan blood has very little salt.”

Jim gasped and giggled at their game. “Then you'll be immune! Salt vampires hate green blood! Spock you're gonna be the only one who can save us all!”

Spock went along with this. The possibility of the existence of a salt vampire was infinitesimal, but this was Jim's game so therefore in this scenario he constructed, it existed. Spock stood and grabbed the lirpa which was intended to be another present for Jim but was rejected by his parents. “Very well, Captain Kirk. I have plan. You distract the Salt Vampire while I surprise it with an attack with my lirpa.”

Jim jumped up and down on Spock's bed while Spock pointed the lirpa at the Salt Vampire. It was rather awkward to hold because it was meant for an adult and not a twelve year old Vulcan child. Before Spock could assist Jim in defeating the Salt Vampire. Amanda opened the door to see her son pointing his lirpa at some thing made from his laundry hanging from the ceiling and Jim was standing on Spock's bed. “Spock? What is going on here?”

Spock put his lirpa down, and Jim crawled off the bed. Spock fidgeted at being caught. “Jim was exercising his imagination and I was... observing.”

Amanda raised a brow and crossed her arms. “And what was this exercise in imagination have to do with your laundry hanging on the ceiling?”

“It is a salt vampire.”

“A salt vampire?”

“Affirmative. The le-matya pelt is also the Oogie Booger Monster, which projects phaser beams from its eyes and emits a gaseous fire from its posterior. Also we are not at the Vulcan Embassy but stranded on an unknown M-class planet.”

Spock stated this ridiculous scenario with the stoicism that only a Vulcan could muster up. Amanda was amazed. Her son was playing pretend with a friend, something she had never seen him do because it would have been too human. Spock was for the first time in his life acting more like a human child. “Then are you a scientist, Spock?”

“Affirmative. Jim is the captain of our vessel, I am the science officer. I am rescuing him from the Salt Vampire that attacked us. As a human he has much salt in his body and would be considered delicious.”

Amanda blinked, and stared. Then she broke out in a fit of giggles. “Oh this is wonderful, Spock. I'm glad you are having fun with Jim, but we need to talk with you and Jim about the ceremony.”

Jim asked quietly, “Are we getting married?”

Amanda looked at Spock for clarification. “I told Jim about the koon-ut-la. He said yes.”

“Okay, Spock. Jim? Can you put these robes on for us? They're for the ceremony.”

Jim took the gold and white robes from Amanda's hands. “How do I put these on?”

“I will assist.”

Spock nodded and helped Jim into his koon-ut-la robes. When he was done Spock noted how beautiful Jim looked, and saw the word t'hy'la embroidered in gold along the front of his robes. Spock had a matching set to wear as well but with his clan's name stitched into his robes. Amanda paused and put her volkaya necklace around Jim's neck. “The robes are new, but this both old, borrowed and blue.”

“It's pretty!”

Amanda winked. “Take good care of it, I'll need it back after the ceremony.”

Spock noted that the addition of the volkaya stone necklace looked most aesthetically pleasing on Jim. They went downstairs to a large room with hanging red curtains and Vulcans dressed in flowing red and gold robes. Jim saw Spock's great grandmother, T'Pau, dressed in elaborate black and silver robes. His grandfather was here as well. Jim looked around at the banners with pretty writing on it. Jim felt Spock talk to him in his head. _'That says t'hy'la. It was made by one of Vulcan's most renowned masters of calligraphy, Trensu Sen.'_

_'Is this for us?'_

_'Affirmative.'_

_'Wow, this feels like a real wedding, and not a pretend one.”_

_'It is, however this ceremony is being rushed and held in secret because your mother will most likely not consent to us getting married or letting you go to Vulcan.'_

_'Probably not. Mom doesn't want me to go off-world, no matter how many times I beg her to take me with her.'_

Jim just noticed that all the Vulcans and his grandfather kept staring at them, Jim thought that Spock's family was kind of scary. “Grandpa Jim? Why is everyone looking at me?”

His grandpa looked at the Vulcans, silently pleading for help. Sarek answered that plea. “James Kirk. We are curious. Are you and Spock communicating telepathically?”

“Telly Path thick lee?” Jim sounded out the new word, it was kinda funny sounding.

“Telepathy. To speak to another mind to mind, to be able to hear another's thoughts.” Spock explained aloud.

Jim nodded. “Yeah, Spock can hear my brain and I can hear his. It's really easy now that Spock and me are on the same planet now. Before I had to go to see to talk to him and knock on that door in the big tree that goes to his brain. Sometimes I'll go through it and Spock will meditate and see me, and he will sometimes do the same.”

The Vulcans stared at the two children in awe by this fact. “Fascinating.” T'Pau said. “The t'hy'la bond is said to be strong enough to reach across vast distances. Child, we ask that we be permitted to look at thy bond with Spock.”

“You wanna look at my brain? Will it hurt?”

T'Pau shook her head. “No, it will not.”

“Okay. You can look.”

“Approach, James Kirk, and Spock.”

Jim and Spock walked toward T'Pau, and she put her hands on either side of their heads. “Now, face one another and place your hands on each other's psi points.”

Spock placed his hands on Jim's face and Jim copied Spock.”

T'Pau took a deep breath. “My mind to your minds. Your thoughts to my thoughts. Our minds together as one.”

Jim and Spock faded from the room and stood in their mindscapes under their tree. They looked down in the pond and instead of a reflection they saw each other. The mindscape fell into itself and merged. Spock and Jim stood together under their tree. Their thoughts echoed across each other. They both felt T'Pau in their mind, and shivered at the gentle but cold intrusion. T'Pau gasped at the sight of their mindscape and pulled away.

Spock and Jim were standing in the room again. T'Pau stared at them. “It is a t'hy'la bond. We will hold the koon-ut-la ceremony here promptly.”

Skon stiffened. “Ko-mekh. I am dissatisfied by the understatement of this event. This ceremony should be done on our sacred Koon-Ut grounds with our entire clan present. The bonding of t'hy'la pair should be treated with more pomp than this, and when the boy reaches seven years of age. He is approximately eleven months too young.”

Sarek interjected. “We cannot. Commander Davis has stated that James Kirk's mother will not consent to this. We must do this ceremony now, while we have the opportunity. The boy needs the protection of our clan as soon as possible.”

Jim looked at his grandfather in confusion. “Grandpa Jim? What's going on? Does mom not like Spock?”

Grandpa Jim sighed. “I asked your mother if she'd allow this ceremony, it was a compromise... You see, Spock's family wanted you to live with them, but your mother said no... Well that wasn't all she said. She said a number of colorful words. That's why I'm here for your koon-ut-la, to make it legal.”

“Mom doesn't want me to marry Spock and live with him?”

Spock became nervous at feeling Jim's hesitation. What if Jim did not want to live with him, but stay with his human family? He had to ask. “Jim, I wish to ask you something important.”

Jim beamed. “Go ahead, Spock, ask me anything!”

Spock fidgeted a little. “You do like me, correct?”

Jim nodded. “Of course, Spock! You're my favorite person!”

Spock straightened up, feeling more confident. “You would not mind if we stayed together? Live together?”

Jim gasped. “You mean come live with you?! On Vulcan?!”

Spock nodded. “Affirmative. We can share the same bedroom or you can have your own next to mine.”

Jim loved that idea. “Yes! I wanna stay with you! Mom is gone all the time and Sam and Uncle Frank are a bunch of Niraks.”

Spock raised his brow. “How so?”

Jim didn't like Sam and Uncle Frank much. “Sam always eats the last of the good cereal and calls me Dum-Dum, and Uncle Frank is always mean. Uncle Frank yelled at me this morning and said that Vulcans are cold robots and that you don't love me. He didn't feed me and made me go hungry. He even hit me in the head when I talked Vulcan and told me to speak normal.”

Spock stiffened and felt a surge of rage at this Uncle Frank, and felt anger coming from all of the Vulcans present. Sarek stared hawkishly at Jim's grandfather. “Commander Davis, who is this Uncle Frank?”

Grandpa Jim sighed. “My no-good oldest son. Jim's mother, my daughter, has him babysit her kids while's she's off planet or working in the shipyard on the Enterprise. Frank can't keep a job down and lives off of Winona ever since I cut him off. I tell Winona I can look after the boys, but she insists Frank do it so he can finally learn some responsibility. I honestly don't know where I went wrong with that boy.”

Sarek nodded in understanding, nearly everyone here thought of Sybok. “Raising children can be difficult. There are cases where you must let them go and force them to find there own way in life and as you humans say, sink or swim.”

Grandpa Jim had to agree with that. “I ain't going to be around forever. I want at least Jim here to be looked after... God knows Winona is at her limits, and I can't count on Frank to patch the food stasis box in the kitchen much less raise a child. I trust you to look after Jim more than my own children. Sad enough as it is, it's the truth.”

Jim frowned. “Not going to be around forever? What are you talking about?”

Grandpa Jim patted his grandson's shoulder. “Jim, my boy... I don't know how many years I have left, but someday sooner rather than later I'm going to be gone for good. Your mother is never going to recover from your dad's death, and your Uncle Frank... Well he's as you said, a Nirak. That's why we're here at the Vulcan Embassy, to perform a ceremony that will ensure that Spock can look after you.”

“You mean married?”

Grandpa Jim fell silent, gasping for the right words to explain to his six year old grandson that he's getting married to Spock. To his surprise Jim smiled and said, “It's okay. Spock explained. We're going be married because we're best friends.”

Grandpa Jim was surprised, and then cracked a grin. “Yeah, you're going to marry your best friend, so if your Uncle Frank is mean or your mom leaves you without a decent babysitter, Spock can come to your rescue.”

Jim liked the sound of that. After that discussion Spock took him upstairs to help Jim bathe. Amanda and Spock's grandmother assisted T'Pau in making adjustments to Jim's bonding robes so they fit properly. Then T'Pau presented a pair of ancient amulets that said t'hy'la in Vulcan calligraphy, Spock knew them to be relics from their clan's vaults. Solkar and Skon lamented how small their ceremony was, but understood why it had to be.

The whole Embassy gathered to witness the first t'hy'la koon-ut-la in eight-hundred years. It was small compared to the opulence such a rare event deserved. T'Pau performed the ceremony with the only human to witness it was, Jim's grandfather who presented Jim to be given away. T'Pau said in ancient high Vulcan, “I present S'chn T'gai Spock Kirk, and S'chn T'gai James Tiberius Kirk. Bonded since birth. Thy katras entwined. Parted yet not parted. Touching and always touched. I name thee t'hy'la, thy bond be a blessing from hamlan to thy clans now joined in peace and enriched by thy t'hy'la bond.”

Spock and Jim shared a blush as they pressed their fingertips together as instructed, it tingled pleasantly. Solkar came out with an ancient scroll and with a pen he wrote in Spock and Jim's name. It was the clan scroll stating all members of the S'chn T'gai Clan. With great care, Solkar signed their names with along with one word linking them together that caused Solkar to display emotion; t'hy'la.

Solkar gave Jim a ta'al. “I welcome thee, James Tiberius Kirk, to my clan, to the house of Surak. As S'Chn and T'Gai are to my clan, so too Spock and Kirk shall be to the generations that are to come.”

Tthe ceremony was done, and was moved to the grand ballroom where there would be music, dancing and a feast of delicacies from Vulcan. Tufeen Hashani, a Vulcan wedding cake had t'hy'la written in frosting was by far Jim's favorite. Jim really loved that cake, it tasted like carrot cake, and decided it was a close second to chocolate. Jim could see Spock enjoying his cake too. Jim tugged on Spock's sleeve and grinned. “I got presents, and cake today. It feels like a birthday party. I like this one better than my other birthday party. Mom cried when I said I wanted to Join Starfleet and be like dad. No one played with me or watched me blow out the candles, just my grandpa.”

“I am pleased that you enjoyed our koon-ut-la. If you ever need me, I will come. We are t'hy'la.”

“What does t'hy'la mean?”

Spock paused. Jim was only six, he was very young and should be too young for a koon-ut-la, but circumstances demanded it. Their bond was so important to his culture and a child with a t'hy'la was in the care of woman who grieved for her mate and turned to alcohol and overworking herself to numb the pain. Not to mention Jim was cared for by an uncle who showed troubling signs of being not only negligent but possibly abusive. Jim needed to be married into the House of Surak so Spock and his family could legally protect him.

Spock finally understood why his mother lied to him when he was six years old and said that baby brothers came from a Earth bird called the stork. Jim was young, far too young to understand the full meaning of t'hy'la. “It means friend and brother.”

Spock lied to his t'hy'la. Friend. Brother. Too young to yet be his lover, but he was. Spock shared his first kiss with Jim. The baby brother he ordered from the stork was now his betrothed. Jim accepted Spock's answer. “So we're family now?”

“Yes. That was the true purpose of our ceremony, to make us family so that I can protect you and provide for you.”

Jim smiled. “I like you better as a brother. I don't know about that married stuff, that's for grown-ups. Having you as my best friend and my brother is the best! T'nash'veh sa-kai.”

Spock gazed softly at Jim. “Yes, that is correct. T'nash-veh sa-kai.”

Jim did not need to know about where baby brothers actually came from or what the full meaning of t'hy'la was. He definitely did not need to know what pon farr meant just yet. For now the two of them were satisfied with being friends and brothers. There was no need for more. A quick childish press of their fingers to show affection, and playing “house” was more than sufficient. Spock was satisfied with things as they are.

 

* * *

 

Eventually Jim had to be returned home. They ended up taking Sarek's private transport back to Iowa. When they stopped in front of his house, Jim gripped Spock with desperation. He finally got to play with his best friend for real and was adopted by his scary but really cool family. Jim did not think it was fair.

Sarek and Amanda stepped out of the car with Grandpa Jim. Spock and Jim were last. Jim knew he was in trouble when mom shot out of the door and saw them. “Oh no, not again. Ambassador Sarek. Did your son, kidnap mine again?”

“Negative.”

Grandpa Jim coughed. “I took a little detour on little Jim's class field trip. Did you know that for First Contact Day, Jim got to meet Solkar? He just happened to be Spock's great-grandfather. I took lots of pictures. Jim's guaranteed to get an A on his report.”

Winona crossed her arms and glanced at Jim and the fancy robes he was wearing. A perfect match for Spock's robes. “Dad. What did you do?”

“What you refused, Winnie. They need each other, so I gave my consent.”

“God Dammit Dad! How could you do this?! Jim is six! Six! And you just married him off to a- What is Spock? Twelve?! That's twice Jim's age! And they're both children! It's a barbaric practice!”

“Mrs Kirk.” Sarek said in a deadly even voice. “The koon-ut-la is merely a betrothal, but with many of the legal rights granted to a married couple. It was done to protect young James as well as my own son. Do you know what they share?”

“I don't care if it's some holy warrior bond, I get that it's an important part of your culture, but Jim is my son! I have the right as his only parent he has left to say no, and I'm saying hell no you may not have your pointy-eared Romeo marry my Juliet, who by the way is in the first grade!”

Sarek's nostrils flared briefly. “You mock and threaten their t'hy'la bond. Perhaps if I went to the Louvre in Paris, and steal the Mona Lisa to use as toilet paper, you will understand the insult you have just given to all of my people. T'hy'la bonds are rare and cherished.”

Amanda intervened before her husband might say something to make things worse. He really didn't do grief ridden mothers. “I get that your angry and yes, you are his mother and have rights as such, but... Well, it's funny you should mention Romeo and Juliet. Do you know how their story ended?”

Winona looked at Jim fearfully. “Yeah, I know. It's why I have to protect Jim.”

“It's why you cannot separate them.” Amanda corrected. “Mrs Kirk. You have to understand, this bond they share isn't a bunch of superstition. It is based in something very real. Vulcans are telepaths, and form mind links with their families and their spouses. Jim shares a strong connection to Spock, one that can reach over sixteen lightyears to Vulcan.”

Winona paled. “What are you saying?”

Sarek towered over Winona. “If you attempt to keep them separated they will find a way to be together however they can... Even if the methods are dangerous. Their mindlink, the way they have been overusing since the day they met in the park has created a connection that cannot be severed and has caused their neural pathways to sync. Have you not wondered where your son has learned Vulcan? Or how he still knew of Spock? If one of them is in emotional or physical pain, the other will feel it. If they continue to communicate telepathically over a great distance, they risk falling into a coma they will not wake from.”

The gravity of the situation finally dawned on Winona. “I can't give up my son. I won't! He's the last good thing George ever gave me!”

Sarek being the diplomat, attempted to bridge their differences. “Perhaps a compromise. I am frequently on Earth, you are frequently off Earth. My son can come with me on my visits to your world and see Jim and provide you with a far more suitable caretaker than your brother Frank. In between, they can communicate through a more conventional means such as subspace transmissions. I have a state of the art PADD for James Kirk with which he can communicate with Spock.”

Sarek took out a PADD and gave it to Jim. “Here. It has Spock's contact as well as my own private line and the Vulcan Embassy's. As my son's t'hy'la you are also a member of my clan and a citizen of Vulcan. T'Pau as our clan mother is also on that list of contacts, but use her contact for emergencies only. You will also have access to portions of the public Vulcan Database that only Vulcan citizens may have. Live long and Prosper.”

Sarek spoke in Standard so that Jim's mother understood the major diplomatic incident this one even could easily turn into. Sarek was no minor figure in the Federation and had far bigger figures like the legendary T'Pau on his side as well. Sarek looked Winona in the eye. “Should my son feel concerned for James Kirk's well being, and cannot come here himself, someone from the Vulcan Embassy will stop by to access the situation.”

Winona stiffened. “Well since you've twisted my arm, how can I say no?”

Sarek presented a datarod to her. “I should also add that as a member of my family, he has scholarships and access to the Federation's best schools. Here is a copy of records of his duel citizenship and of his koon-ut-la into my family. He will also be receiving a small stipend every month to assist in his care.”

Winona relaxed. “That's actually a big help. Thank you.”

“Thanks are illogical. I would have gained custody of James Kirk myself if I could, but this compromise will have to suffice...” Sarek glinted dangerously at her. “If I have evidence of any neglect or abuse, James Kirk will have guardianship turned over to me.”

“Fine, but it won't be happening anytime soon. Jim! It's past your bedtime, say good-bye to Spock.”

Jim did not want to say good-bye. He loved Spock and wanted to stay with him a little longer. Spock held up the ta'al and Jim did the same, but then Spock pressed their palms together in a sort of V shaped high five. “This is the el'ru'esta. It is a hand embrace reserved only for family or our t'hy'la.”

Jim felt a tidal wave of sorrow and longing crashing over him from Spock. Jim cried. Big fat tears streamed down his face. “Don't go, Spock. I need you.”

Even Winona couldn't take it. “Hey Spock.”

Spock stared at Jim's mother with a blank face that belied the turmoil of anger beneath. She was the source of his parting with Jim. “That is my name. I assume you have something to say to me?”

Winona rolled her eyes. “Hey, Vulcans aren't supposed to be sassy.” Winona sighed. “Look, if you're able to, I banished Frank from the house for a few days for not doing his one job. I could use a babysitter for Jim. You potty trained Jim and taught him how to speak.”

Spock almost lost control of his emotions. He stared at his father, pleading silently. Sarek nodded and Spock had to control the impulse to smile and dance with joy. “I will be pleased to watch over Jim.”

“Great.” Winona said. “You can start tomorrow afternoon. I have a job on Starbase One and I'll be off Earth for three days. Sam won't be here since he'll be staying at a friends, so it'll be just Jim.”

Sarek reminded Spock, “Do not neglect your studies.”

“I will not sa-mekh. I will use this opportunity to get a head start in the Terran portion in my biology and history sections.”

“Logical.” Sarek stared at Winona. “Spock will return tomorrow begin his duties as caretaker. If James Kirk needs transportation anywhere, Spock is licensed to operate a desert flyer. I believe it is road legal and not much different from a Terran hovercar except smaller and sturdier in design.”

“That's fine. Sam's been driving tractors since he was ten, he takes Jim to school if no one else can. Jim will need a ride to school, by the way, so that actually works.”

Winona glanced at Spock. “If Jim is good, he likes Maggie Moos Ice Cream in town, but don't take him anywhere dangerous, I'll leave a list of places to avoid around here. The Shipyard Bar and the Slice of Risa stripclub tie for number one.”

Jim danced for joy and whooped excitedly. Not only was Spock going to be watching him, but also may be taking him out for ice cream. “Yes! Spock we're going to have so much fun tomorrow!”

Spock took care to remind his t'hy'la, “You must not neglect your studies, Jim. Your teacher has assigned you a research paper on what you have learned about Vulcan culture today. We can start now.”

Jim slumped. “Eww, homework.”

After witnessing this Winona suddenly felt slightly better about this Vulcan babysitter. Winona invited Spock's parents and her dad in for tea, and to discuss details on Spock and Jim's futures. While they talked, Spock helped Jim with his homework and how to use his new PADD. When they were looking at the PADD, Spock noticed someone had taken pictures of their reunion at the station and of their koon-ut-la. Spock had copies sent to his own PADD. Spock deduced from the angles they were taken, that his mother was the one responsible. Spock would have to thank her later.

When Spock had to leave, it was less painful knowing that Jim was only a Comm call away and he could spend three whole days with him starting tomorrow. Jim pressed his palm against Spock's, making the bond between them vibrate with longing. “Hey Spock, T'Pau said we were parted and not parted. Is this what that means?”

“Yes. You and I are parted yet never parted, touching and always touched. I will see you tomorrow, Jim.”

Jim smiled. “Yeah! See you tomorrow, Spock! I'm going to go show my mom your present! She's going to freak when I show her Oogie Booger!”

Jim carried his le-matya pelt inside and Spock and his parents heard the sound of Mrs Kirk's surprise at Jim's present. Spock reluctantly left Jim and returned to the Vulcan Embassy. After he meditated and readied himself for bed, his PADD dinged, notifying that he had a message. It was from Jim. _“Mom says that if Frank or Sam give you problems that you can just show them the last animal that gave you problems.”_

Spock considered bringing his lirpa to better protect his t'hy'la, and decided that it would be too messy when a nerve pinch will do. Spock sent a message to Jim before going to sleep that night. _“If anyone gives you problems, I believe a nerve pinch will suffice. I will teach it to you tomorrow... That is if your Uncle Frank or Sam give me reason to demonstrate its use.”_

That night Spock slept well, as did Jim. They did not reach out to the other's mindscape, for they did not feel the need to meet in dreams anymore. They were now able to see one another in the waking world. The door to the other's katra remained closed, at least for now.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 


	2. Part Two: Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snippets of Jim and Spock's life before puberty hits them over the head in the next part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Ozh'esta – Finger embrace. Used between mated individuals or t'hy'la  
> Kan-Telan – Child bonding. A betrothal bonding between children.  
> Kal'if'fee – Challenge. For more details watch the episode Amok Time, and don't come back here until you do, because that one the quintessential Spirk episodes.  
> Nashaut, t'nash'veh t'hy'la – Hello my t'hy'la. Nashaut in this case being a greeting normally used between bondmates or t'hy'la.  
> Suus Mahna – Vulcan martial arts  
> Khy'lan – Kata for the lirpa  
> Lirpax – Training lirpa with a blunted dulled blade and padded bludgeon. A perfect gift for a seven year old boy with lots of enemies.  
> Kiren – Vulcan animal similar to a wolf. Hunts in packs.  
> Tarul-Etek – Vulcan ritual, or more like a game of chicken to see who flinches first using horror movies.  
> Lok – Penis   
> Sa-haf – Pouch, sack, or in this case a genital sheath  
> Vokau – Remember. Ritual word before passing on a katra.  
> S'chn T'gai Sa-te'kru Reh-kuh t'ek cha'Skon eh'T'Rama – I imagine Vulcans from high clans would have some formal long name used in rituals, especially Sarek's clan. This one means “of S'chn and T'gai, The King of All, son of Skon and T'Rama”  
> Vazgau-Adun'a – Wife-Stealing. Vazgau meaning to steal, and Adun'a meaning wife.  
> Adun – Husband

 

Part Two:

Brother

 

 

 

Spock was thirteen and on this day Jim was officially seven years old. Sarek usually only took Spock to Earth when he had a meeting, but this trip was different because Spock's parents took him to Earth for Jim's birthday party. Spock's PADD buzzed, it was a text from Jim. _“Are you here yet?”_

Spock responded with, _“I have just arrived at the station in San Fransisco. We are boarding our private transport to Riverside now. LLAP.”_

For good measure Spock added an emoji of a hand doing the ta'al. Spock was grateful for this method of communicating with Jim; it was more effective and less straining on their minds. Spock had to explain that stretching your katra as far as another system ran the risk of not being able to return to your body, so both Spock and Jim never attempted it again. There was no need since they could send messages to each other via Subspace comms at any time.

“ _I havent seen u in like 4 ever!”_

“ _Did you turn your spell check off?”_

“ _Yeah. Oops. Fixed it. Forgot that annoys you.”_

Spock frowned. Jim sent a picture of a face with a tongue sticking out. Jim was engaging in a human practice of teasing. Spock did not understand why one would purposely argue with the one you cherished, but that is what his mother had told him. _“Correct grammar is only logical.”_

“ _Logical pants!”_

Spock resisted the human urge to roll his eyes. His t'hy'la was most illogical at times, but in a way that only added to his charms. He then proceeded to challenge Jim to a game of online chess. Jim was quite good for a human of his age, and Spock found the activity mentally stimulating.

In the year since their Kan-Telan, both Spock's family and Jim's kept the fact of their bonding ceremony and their t'hy'la bond a secret from the public. Jim's mother explained to his class and teachers that Spock had taken Jim on as a sort of Vulcan big brother in a Vulcan-Human mentorship program. With Jim's genius level test scores, a Vulcan mentor was not too far-fetched. It was more believable than the truth.

On Vulcan if anyone saw the t'hy'la banner hanging in their home when visiting, nothing more was said then, “A gift from Trensu Sen. Clearly an homage to our clan founders S'Chn and T'Gai.” Rumors of Spock's bonded status flew in his school. From what his ears picked up they were under the impression that Spock melded with a human and his family bonded them to hide the embarrassment of Spock's lack of control. Stonn found it amusing that he had been bonded to a human, and used Jim as proof that Spock was not a real Vulcan. “It is only logical they bond you to a human. No need for a Vulcan woman to degrade herself and dilute our gene pool with your thin blood. Not to mention the bride price is cheaper for a mere human.”

Spock had proudly kept himself from striking Stonn as he was tempted to do. Spock reminded himself that he had a t'hy'la bond, something all Vulcans strive for. His t'hy'la bond is a source of pride and would be the envy of Vulcan if they all knew. Spock reminded Stonn, “I am satisfied with my mate. He is eager and willing to engage in ozh'esta with me. I hope you are equally satisfied with your mate.”

According to the valuable information Spock had gotten from T'Pring and as evidence from the expression of anger Stonn almost displayed, Stonn did not find his mate so satisfying. From what T'Pring had learned from her associates, Stonn's mate was courting another male and explicitly told Stonn that upon their wedding she would declare kal'if'fee.

T'Pring was one of the few Vulcans outside of his clan that knew the truth. She had learned that T'Hyla was not the name of a Vulcan female, but of something sacred. She understood why his t'hy'la bond with Jim was not made public. She did not pry more. While Vulcans were curious by nature, they were also a very private people. Vulcan Privacy was only breached in cases of emergencies, like when Spock fell into a coma while meditating last year.

Sarek told Spock that their situation if made public would cause a strain between their relations with Earth. Sarek's marriage to Amanda, a human, smoothed over centuries of tensions between their people, but Spock's t'hy'la bond with Jim could destroy decades of Sarek's work for several reasons.

Jim was in the care of a mentally unstable woman who was more often off-world than on, leaving Jim in the care of a temperamental and disagreeable uncle. Vulcans would see keeping a t'hy'la pair separated, and one of them in the care of such illogical humans as testament to sacrilege. If Sarek fought for custody, the odds of winning custody were unfavorable. The rest of the Federation would frown on the child marriage as Winona Kirk labelled the Kan-Telan and of the incident when Spock was seven when he “kidnapped” Jim.

The courts would favor the birth mother rather than send Jim to live with another species and completely different culture. Since the Kelvin Tragedy bigotry against Vulcans has risen since the distant kinship between Romulans and Vulcans were revealed. They would not be in favor of the Kelvin Hero's son live with a people that humans often thought were cold walking computers.

For now, the threat of a custody battle, and earning the ire of an entire planet kept Winona Kirk from filing a restraining order against Spock. Spock had worked hard in his attempts to prove to Jim's mother that he was a worthy guardian and brother for Jim. When Spock arrived at the Kirk residence, and saw Jim's golden form run joyously to him, he also saw the shadow of Winona Kirk with an expression of annoyance. Jim's smile shone like the sun. “Spock! You're here! Nashaut, t'nash'veh t'hy'la!”

Jim held out his first two fingers for Spock, and he gladly responded in ozh'esta. An intimate gesture Spock enjoyed and reserved for Jim. They were t'hy'la and betrothed. It was appropriate. Spock felt his father's embarrassment at his son's near scandalous display of affection, though he concealed it well. Sarek instead gave Winona a curt greeting. “Lt Commander Kirk. I bid you greeting upon the annual celebration of your son's birth.”

Winona sighed wearily. “Hello to you too. I suppose we had best discuss plans for the boys' trip to the aquarium while they catch up. My schedule is hectic and I may have to find someone to go with Jim in my place.”

“We can take Jim and Spock ourselves. It would be of no inconvenience.” Sarek suggested.

“I think not.” Winona insisted. “It's not that I don't trust Spock or you for that matter, but...”

Spock heard enough and ushered Jim inside. The kitchen and living room was festooned with streamers and a banner said Happy Birthday in bright colors. It was also loud with other human children and a few adults. Jim had on his head an odd cone shape hat with bright streams of colors on it. Jim beamed brightly at Spock. “Now that you're here, we can finally have fun! Everyone! This is Spock! My best friend and favorite brother in the whole universe!”

Sam scowled. Spock noticed that Sam Kirk's voice was cracking and had a blemish on his nose. Signs of puberty in humans. “Hey, Dum-Dum! I'm your actual brother!”

Jim stuck out his tongue and held Spock close to him in a possessive gesture. “Spock is better! He doesn't call me names and he's cool and is really smart and gives me the best stuff!”

The human children stopped and stared at Spock. They were not used to the presence of a Vulcan or any alien in a homogeneous town like Riverside. One boy pointed at Spock and said, “You've got funny looking ears!”

“And his eyebrows are pointy!” A girl said.

One woman, presumably their mother, looked rather displeased. “Billy! Susan! That's rude.”

Spock raised a brow. “No offense was given, madam. My eyebrows are pointy, this is a fact. Though I must disagree that my ears are humorous in any fashion, they are merely my ears. However, I understand if he has strange taste.”

Jim giggled. “I like your ears Spock, and I like you.”

Spock let a small smile slip ever so briefly. He could not always control the joy Jim often brought, and it was usually an overwhelming amount of joy. “I am fond of you as well Jim. What activities are usually held at birthday parties?”

Jim grinned. “Games! Like a piñata! Come on! It's in the backyard!”

Jim grabbed his sleeve, and dragged him into the backyard where there was some sort of unidentifiable four legged animal made from multicolored paper hung from a tree. All the human children gathered around the paper creature with excitement. Jim's uncle, Frank, and few of the parents of the other children watched. Jim bounced excitedly. “You gotta try to hit the piñata with a stick and break it open.”

“For what purpose?”

“To get candy!”

That raised a brow by an entire centimeter. “That is not a logical method of procuring candy.”

Jim laughed. “No, Spock! It's fun! Watch! I'll go first since it's my birthday!”

Jim had a blindfold put on him and he was spun around, and blindly try to hit the piñata with little success. To increase the difficulty Frank pulled the rope and the piñata with it, out of reach. Spock wondered if there was another purpose besides candy. Perhaps a training exercise in defensive combat without the advantage of sight? Spock took out his PADD and documented this Terran tradition of piñatas and their secret military purpose.

Sam went up and watched and laughed as several other children all got hits in and the piñata still did not break. It was dented and bruised, with several rainbow colored streams of its paper skin littering the ground. The piñata was beaten, but it was far from broken. Spock noted that it was a most resilient paper creature. Sam commented quietly, “Uncle Frank made that thing from plywood, they're never going to bust it open. He's a dick like that. See? He's laughing his ass off!”

Spock glanced at Frank. He did not like him. He did indeed seem to be enjoying the frustration of the children. The human word schadenfreude applied here and Uncle Frank provided a textbook example. It was a savage behavioral trait that Spock also noted. Jim trudged up to Spock, looking frustrated. “It won't break!”

Spock knew what he had to do. “Jim. If the tool you are using is not working, then you must change tools.”

“Okay. So get a bigger stick?”

“Affirmative. Though perhaps not bigger, but more efficient.”

Jim smiled as he got it. “If you're doing the same thing over and over, hoping for something different to happen, then that's being stupid. Try something new to work around the problem!”

Spock swelled with pride. Jim was far more intelligent than most of the children here, who still thought hitting it with the same stick would work. Now Jim was looking for a different stick. Spock then walked back into the house to fetch a box. It was his gift to Jim. Now that he was seven, he was old enough to start training in Vulcan martial arts. Spock handed the box to Jim who grunted at it's heavy weight. “This is my gift to you. Now that you are seven you may begin training in Suus Mahna and Khy'lan. It is a-”

As Spock was speaking Jim was already ripping his mother's careful gift wrappings off and opening the box. Jim gasped. “Oh my god! This is so cool! A lirpa!”

“A lirpax. A training lirpa with a dulled blade and padded bludgeon to avoid injury.” Spock corrected. “I have brought my own so that we may begin training. The first lesson is to observe the situation and decide if combat is necessary... You are not listening.”

Jim had already picked up the training lirpa and was going to go kill the piñata. Spock treaded after Jim to observe the damage Jim was about to do. Spock saw Frank laughing and then saw Jim come back with a far more formidable stick and defiantly shouted, “You're going down, SeñorPiñata!”

Frank's laughter died as he saw his nephew come charging into the arena with deadly intent. Spock saw a myriad of ugly emotions cross Frank's face in mere seconds. From schadenfreude-like glee, to fear, and then finally anger. “Where the fuck did you get that, Jim?!”

Children gasped. One girl gasped and pointed at Frank. “Ooo! You said a dirty word!”

Frank's anger went back to fear. Sam grinned and crossed his arms. “Uncle Frank, maybe you shouldn't have cheated and make the piñata from wood?”

“He made it with wood?!” Jim stared at Uncle Frank. “Cheater! Just for that I ain't using a blindfold since you're not going to be fair!”

“Stand back!” Sam shouted as Jim started swinging the lirpax. Uncle Frank pulled the rope and stumbled backwards, wanting to get as far as possible from the business end of Jim's dangerous new toy. Spock stood behind Jim and guided his movements. “Swing with purpose and precision. Do not swing it wildly or at random.”

With one swing, and determination burning in his tiny seven year old body, Jim decapitated the piñata and its guts spilled onto the ground. The children screamed and swarmed over the remains of the piñata's corpse like a pack of hungry kiren over a kill their leader made. Spock documented this behavior with fascination and holovids for his research into human behavior. Not because Jim looked glorious with the sun glinting in his wheat colored hair, determination burning in his Volkaya blue eyes. Spock quickly regained control of his emotions. With the lirpax in hand, Jim resembled a warrior in ancient times, one that poets would sing songs about.

In hindsight, many years from now, Spock will look back on this moment as the first signs of the man James T Kirk would become. Spock saw on this day a fleeting preview of the man would be one the greatest Captains Starfleet had ever known, and the great leader Spock would gladly follow into the gates of Hell. Right now James T Kirk was young, impressionable, and very sticky. Mostly due to the confectionery sweets that were placed inside the piñata and Jim, along with the other children, was devouring with disturbing voracity.

Jim looked back at Spock with a handful of candy and offered some to him. It was all chocolate. “Here, Spock! I saved some for you!”

Spock declined. “I cannot have chocolate. My mother says I am not allowed.”

Mother told Spock that he was allergic to chocolate, and that all Vulcans were. Spock had begun to doubt that fact. He had seen his second forefather Solkar consume some with his bondmate T'Pau on one mentally scarring occasion. Spock had on a few occasions witness his mother feed some to his father on other mentally scarring occasions. From what Spock witnessed, chocolate seemed to have no fatal effects on the Vulcan digestive system, but it made them behave oddly. Jim on the other hand gasped, and was completely horrified at Spock's tragic lack of chocolate in his life. “That's awful! You gotta try chocolate! It's the best thing in the world!”

Spock doubted chocolate could be that good. Jim was on this world, and Spock would not believe anything could better than him. “I am unsure, but I will try some at your insistence.”

Jim looked at his candy, and declined. “For your first time, it's gotta be special! I know! Cake! My Aunt Jo made her special devil's food cake for my birthday! It's like the ultimate form of chocolate.”

Jim once again grabbed Spock by the sleeve and pulled him inside. Jim asked his mother if they could do cake now. To Spock's sensitive Vulcan hearing and smell, he could tell that she was intoxicated. Spock could tell by looking at his father that he disapproved of her actions. Winona agreed on the cake, and Jim's Aunt Jo Kirk took over the human ritual of the birthday cake. Spock did not celebrate his birthday with this much flare. There was no logic in putting candles on a cake that served no purpose other than to make this illogical wish, nor was it necessary to sing. “Jim, I doubt that wax candles and a dessert have the power to alter reality.”

“Yes they do! I wished to see you in real life last year and it came true! Grandpa Jim helped make it true!” Jim then looked away sadly for a moment. “I miss Grandpa Jim.”

Jim's grandfather had died from a cardiac arrest four months ago. Spock and his parents attended the funeral with Jim. James Davis left Jim his house, and his land to be inherited on his eighteenth birthday. Jim's mother could keep living on her father's estate on the condition that Spock keep his visitation rights. Because of his actions, Spock is able to see Jim periodically instead of being cut off from him completely like Winona Kirk would have preferred. Spock gave Jim a quick press of his fingers on his hand. “I grieve with thee.”

Jim thought of his wish, and Spock could not help but overhear it. _'I wish I can go to Vulcan and see Spock's house and real sehlats!'_

Spock could certainly arrange for that. It would require a passport and the necessary immunizations shots and regular doses of tri-ox hyposprays. Spock filed it away for future references. He was brought from his plans by Jim. All the other children were eating cake, except Spock. Jim tugged on his mother's sleeve, “Mom! Don't forget Spock! He needs cake too!”

Winona set down a plate of chocolate cake in front of Spock without even glancing at him. Spock noticed that she was too inebriated to do so with any kind of sober grace. “Sure, sure. Hey! Don't play with that!”

Winona disappeared, distracted by another child-related disaster without much thought for the one she had just started. Spock took a small bite of his cake with Jim looking in anticipation. Spock's eyes dilated and colors shone brighter. It was incredibly sweet with a rich flavor unlike anything Spock had ever tasted. “What do you think?”

Spock took another bite, and smiled brightly. “This is very sweet, but it is also good.”

Spock then giggled and laughed. He couldn't help it or keep it in. Jim blinked in surprise. “Wow! You're really happy! I knew chocolate was good!”

Spock hugged Jim and nuzzled his neck. Jim was so nice, and he really loved his t'hy'la. “I love you, Jim. Taluhk nash-veh ka'du'lar.”

Jim's eyes widened, rendered speechless by Spock's uncharacteristic affections. “Wow, you must really like chocolate. Wanna go play?”

Spock stumbled a little on the words, or any high cognizant thought. His head felt fuzzy. “Okay. That sounds nice.” Spock paused. “I want my cake.”

Spock did not remember much after that. For the first time in his life he had blank spots in his usual perfect Vulcan memory. What he did recall was fragmented. He recalls Jim kissing him on the cheek because they were playing house and that was what mothers do with fathers. He recalls that Jim's stuffed blue octopus was their baby that Jim named Spocktopus because its slanted eyebrows made it resemble Spock. He remembers hanging from a tree branch wearing only his undergarments and for some reason he was showing Jim how to fly like a bird and Jim was playing with his lirpax and pretending the le-matya pelt is alive and ready to devour them. This was how their parents found him.

“Spock!” Sarek was quite shocked. “What are you doing? This behavior is most illogical.”

Spock giggled and laughed as he swung like an Earth monkey on his tree branch. “Logic is a wreath of pretty flowers that smell really bad!”

“Come down from there and put your robes back on.” His father commanded him.

Spock stuck his tongue out. “No. I don't want to, Sa-mekh.”

Winona Kirk's mouth hung agape at the Vulcan boy acting like an ordinary human boy. The other humans were equally shocked. “Woah, Spock is acting like a _normal_ kid!”

Sarek stared at Winona. “This behavior is not normal.”

Amanda spotted a plate with some distinctive traces of chocolate. She picked it up with a trembling hand and showed it to Sarek. The Vulcan paled by at least two shades. “Spock! Did you consume chocolate?”

Spock giggled and decided to leap down so he could give Jim a hug. Spock shouted, “I love chocolate! And I love Jim!”

Sarek turned to Winona Kirk. “How did my son get a hold of chocolate?”

Winona started sweating. “I gave it to him. I didn't think...”

“You did not know that chocolate is banned on Vulcan for this very reason? Chocolate has similar effects on Vulcans as alcohol is to humans. You got my son intoxicated, not surprising considering your own lack of responsibility pertaining intoxication.”

Winona turned red with rage, “Hey! I didn't know chocolate would do that to Vulcans! Shouldn't your kid have known better?! It's not my fault your son got himself drunk!”

Sarek turned to his son, who was being obscenely tactile in his affections for Jim. The tips of Sarek's ears turned green when he saw his son start nuzzling Jim's neck and purring. “Spock, release Jim. We must return to Vulcan.”

Spock growled, and not just an ordinary one. It's pitch was low and had the timbre of an adult male's and not a child's. One rarely heard outside of savagery of pon farr or pre-reform plays. It was enough to make Sarek falter. Sarek and Amanda looked at one another with shared concern. Their child was showing the early signs of becoming an adult: territorial vocal displays. Winona almost freaked. “What the hell was that?! It wasn't human!”

“No, it was Vulcan. It is a territorial display.” Sarek explained. “Amanda, you must be the one to catch Spock. I cannot approach.”

Amanda went to grab Spock and he evaded her. “Sarek! Help me catch Spock!”

Spock picked up Jim, threw him over his shoulder and skipped merrily away from the adults. All the while, screaming, “Weeee!”

Jim waved from over Spock's shoulder at his mother. “Bye! Mom! Apparently Spock wants to take me somewhere!”

The ensuing chase lasted twenty minutes and three miles from the Kirk residence. Spock while hopped up on chocolate was a wily and elusive creature. Sarek had inadvertently played a game of Keep Away with his son. It ended when Spock had to stop to vomit on Winona Kirk's hover car they used to chase down Spock. Winona screeched, “Oh great! He puked on my car!”

Spock dropped Jim, and moaned. Unfortunately Winona was within range and Spock barfed all over her pants and shoes. What was more unfortunate was that they were also brand new. Spock sank onto the ground gripping his stomach. “It hurts... T'hy'la... Everything hurts...”

“And now he puked on my new shoes!”

Winona attempted to grab Jim and drag him from Spock, but a growl kept her away. Then Spock grimaced. Jim was distressed, he didn't know how to help Spock. Sarek took pity on his son and nerve pinched him. Sarek then picked up his unconscious son like a piece of luggage under his arm. He turned to the Kirks. “The aquarium trip is cancelled until further notice. We are leaving now. Live long and prosper, James Kirk.”

Jim started crying. He didn't want Spock to go. When the Vulcan hovercar sped off, so did any enjoyment Jim may have had for the rest of his party. After the chocolate fiasco and learning chocolate can turn a Vulcan into Mr Hyde, the party was ended. Aunt Jo and her husband Bill Kirk were stunned by the sight of a savage Vulcan and angry because in the chase Spock had dented their hovercar when he jumped on top of it. Jim's day got worse when his mother confiscated his lirpax. “I don't know what Spock was thinking, but you are way too young to have one of these. Your Uncle Frank even said that you almost took off his head!”

Aunt Jo Kirk agreed. “I can't believe you let that Vulcan child around Jim! He's a bad influence! Willingly eating illicit substances and giving weapons to a seven year old!”

It would be many months before he and Spock would see each other again. What neither Jim nor Spock realized was that this incident was only the beginning of a minor feud between Spock's family and the Kirks. It was only because of the stipulations on Grandpa Jim's will and a call from a Vulcan lawyer that Winona let Spock and Jim see each other again.

 

* * *

 

Spock was fourteen and Jim was eight when they experienced their first Christmas together. It took awhile for Winona to trust Spock to be alone with her son after Jim's seventh birthday party, and six months before she allowed a visit. A visit from a Vulcan lawyer with the stipulations of James Davis's will changed her mind.

This visit would be different because Spock would be spending Christmas with his human family, and Jim would be there with him. Winona agreed, mostly because Jim would be with seemingly responsible human beings like the Grayson family and Frank was once again her only sitter available, so the Grayson family it was. Sarek was off negotiating a dispute between the Tellarites and the Andorians so Spock would be on Earth without his father. It was a new experience in some way for Spock because it marked a small degree of independence.

Spock sat with his mother at a cafe waiting for Winona Kirk to show with Jim. Amanda took a bite into her BLT sandwich and moaned rather scandalously. Amanda smiled at her son. “Don't tell your father, but I really miss bacon.”

“I shall keep my silence.”

Spock straightened up as he felt a familiar golden presence in his mind draw closer. “I believe Jim has arrived within the city.”

Amanda looked at her son curiously. “It's really amazing how connected you are to him. My bond with your father isn't so strong. I only can get certain strong emotions at times. You haven't overextended your katra lately have you?”

Spock almost rolled his eyes. “No, Mother.”

Spock turned around to see a familiar blond head and Volkaya blue eyes come into the cafe. Jim ran up to Spock and jumped into his lap. “Spock! Merry Christmas! Guess what? I saw Santa... Well not Santa, but one of his representatives. I got to sit in his lap and ask him what I want for Christmas.”

Spock bristled at the idea of his t'hy'la sitting in some strange man's lap. Spock turned to his mother. “Mother? Explain this.”

Amanda giggled. “Spock! You don't know about Santa Claus?”

“A mythological figure that brings gifts on the eve twenty-fourth of December. He somehow can break several laws of physics and space time to visit every child on Earth with a sleigh pulled by eight biologically impossible reindeer that can somehow fly. That also includes the improbability of an overweight man fitting down a chimney. Yes I know of this Santa Claus, what I do not know is why my t'hy'la is permitted to sit in the lap of a strange man and divulge personal desires.”

Winona crossed her arms. “Well, bah humbug to you too, Spock. It's called the Christmas Spirit. Let Jim have his fun.”

Amanda giggled. “Sorry, Winona. You'll have to excuse Spock. I think he's a little jealous.”

Jim gasped and hugged Spock. “Don't be jealous, Spock! I like you best! His beard was fake but your elf ears are real! Oh! I got you something!”

Jim crawled out of Spock's lap and Spock found himself missing his warmth. Jim took out a garish green thing with red trim and a bell on the end of a point and presented ever so proudly to Spock. “It's an elf hat!”

Spock raised a brow at this supposed elf hat. “What is the function of this elf hat?”

Jim pouted. “You're supposed to put it on and be merry!”

Spock looked at this hat and shuddered. He did not want to wear this thing. Unfortunately for Spock, Jim used those mesmerizing eyes on him and pleaded silently. Then he bowed his head slightly and allowed Jim to put the Christmas Elf hat on him. Spock looked up hearing that bell on the tip of his pointy ear. He saw his mother almost exploding with glee as she was taking pictures like a mad woman. Spock noticed Winona hiding her smile poorly behind her hand. “Aww man, that's frickin' adorable! Amanda are you getting this?”

Amanda grinned. “I am and I've set it for my new wallpaper and turning it into a Christmas card for my family. Spock is my little Christmas elf! Oh, Jim can you move closer to Spock and smile for the camera?”

Jim crawled back into Spock's lap and wiggled a little. Spock found himself blushing at how close Jim was to him, and how comfortably warm he was compared to his environment. Spock heard the click and from the cooing sounds his mother made, she took the picture and deemed it postcard worthy. Spock was about to ask his mother to refrain from sharing it, but then she said, “And sent! You get a copy too Winona. Oh and Spock, I sent a copy to Sarek. It'll make him smile on the inside.”

Jim waved his mother good-bye, and left Amanda a list of Jim's allergies, which was unnecessary since Spock knew that list by heart. Then with a kiss on Jim's cheek she took off to the spaceport to return to her ship. Spock followed his mother to their shuttle to Seattle and though he would deny it, he was feeling merry with Jim at his side.

-

The ride to the Grayson family homestead was spent playing chess or the two humans singing Christmas carols while one Vulcan pointed out how illogical some the lyrics are. “But Mother, is it not disconcerting that this bearded man knows when you are sleeping and when you are awake? Not only that but this man breaks into homes and judges children by a moral standard known only to himself.”

Jim looked at Spock like he had grown a second head. “But Spock! Santa is good! He leaves presents! Don't you want presents?”

“Not particularly. I have what is necessary to my existence.”

Spock looked softly into Jim's eyes. This Christmas would prove true. He had clothing, shelter, nourishment, air, and Jim. All things necessary to sustain his life. Jim of course took this the wrong way. “You don't want anything? What about a new speeder? Or one of those cool leather jackets? Not even a microscope?”

Spock spared a thought on material possessions. If he required something he would go and purchase it. Of course if it was particularly expensive he would ask his parents and logically explain his reasons for needing it. Gifts were rarely given and always with a purpose beyond something as frivolous as many Terran holidays. “I have everything I need.”

James T Kirk is and always has been a man who never shirked from a challenge. This year he made it his personal Christmas duty to find the perfect present for his best friend and his brother, Spock. “Don't worry Spock! I'll find you the perfect gift!”

When Jim met the human side of his family they all cooed and adored Jim. Clearly even they could see how aesthetically pleasing and wonderful his t'hy'la was. Even Spock's cousins, Jimmy and Lester, who were always disagreeable, liked Jim. Grandpa Richard ruffled Jim's hair, “Glad to meet ya, Jim! Welcome to the Grayson house!”

Grandma Diana hugged Jim, “Oh he's adorable, Mandy! I love him! And you say you adopted him?”

Jim looked back and forth between the adults. The subject of his relation to Spock was one he never question before. Spock stepped in and explained. “He is my t'hy'la. My friend and my brother with whom I share an unbreakable telepathic connection to. By Vulcan law he normally would have been sent to live with my clan, being the one with higher status, but humans do things differently... Regrettably I must share custody with his birth mother, but he is nevertheless a crucial part of me, and therefore a part of my family.”

Amanda explained to her non-Vulcan family, “Vulcans are all telepaths. What defines a Vulcan is his or her connection to the people. Without their telepathic bonds to their family, both living and dead, they cannot be called Vulcan. By Vulcan standards Jim is considered to be Vulcan, despite being mostly human, whereas the rest of his family is not. Jim was born with a telepathic connection to Spock that was awakened when they met. Such bonds at birth are very rare among Vulcans and are cherished in their culture.”

Aunt Doris nodded. “I think I get it. This telepathic bond is like the Vulcan equivalent of the birth of a white buffalo among the plains tribes, or white elephant in India.”

Uncle Johnny, Doris's husband added, “Or a new star in the sky over the town of Bethlehem. Ta High La, tee hee la, you called it? Its like that, right?”

Amanda nodded. “Yes, it is exactly like that, though your pronunciation needs work. I'm glad you guys get it. I wish Jim's mother got it. She doesn't realize how culturally important Jim's bond to Spock is to Vulcan. The founder of their society, Surak, was born to a t'hy'la pair who themselves ended a long and bloody war and brought peace to their lands with their bond. It is seen as a symbol of peace and an end to strife to the Vulcans.”

Jim had a lot of thinking to do. This revelation of why and Spock were friends was completely new information to him. He asked his mother a couple of times about why they didn't go to Vulcan when they had a Vulcan ancestor, or why she didn't want him to go live with Spock. She answered after many times asking, and was really angry. “My mom doesn't like Vulcans. She said the Vulcan guy we're related to, got banished after they found out he'd been living with pre-warp people and having kids with them. She said her grandparents vowed to not have anything to do with Vulcans 'cus they were stuck up. My mom said Sa-Mekh'il Mestral died alone on Earth and his kids blame the Vulcans for not letting him go home. Mom said it was the First Contact guy's fault that he died alone and without his people.”

This was new information to Spock. Jim's family had a feud against his, it explained much of their hostile behavior toward him. His great-grandfather, Solkar, was personally responsible for the suffering of Jim's Vulcan ancestor and his children. It was not surprising to him that Vulcans would banish one their own if they strayed from the path of logic. He saw first hand how narrow-minded in the face of something new they could be. “I grieve with thee, Jim. I apologize for the pain my Osa-mekh'il has caused you and your family.”

Amanda sighed. “Great, so this really is like the feud between the Montague and the Capulet families. I didn't know Winona's family had a grudge against Vulcans, much less my grandfather-in-law. I can understand why Winona and her brother hate Sarek and Spock now.”

Grandma Diana came out with a plate of her famous sugar cookies. “Now, this isn't the time of the year to think about grudges and feuds. It's Christmas, and we're together. Now who wants a gingerbread cookie?”

Jim, who could never turn down a good cookie, especially gingerbread, and eagerly grabbed one. “Oh! Me! I'll take one! Mmm! Spock try one!”

Spock, who could never turn down Jim, politely took a bite of the cookie in Jim's hands. To the astonishment of his human family, Spock allowed Jim to be not only in his personal space but eat from someone else's hands. Spock flushed at the contact his lips made with Jim's fingers. “I-it is good.”

“So maybe you want cookies for a present?”

Spock raised a brow. “If you are still inquiring as to what gift I desire, I have already stated that I have all that I need.”

Jim frowned. “Darn. I gotta find you something. Hey! Spock's family! Can y'all help me find the perfect gift for Mr. Scrooge here? I need to find a present that's so perfect that his Vulcan face will crack into a smile!”

Amanda giggled. “Oh, dear! Spock really is like his father. Sarek is a real Scrooge as well.”

Spock felt mildly annoyed to be compared to a greedy businessman. Jim pressed his two fingers against Spock's in a Vulcan kiss and Spock felt Jim's thoughts against his mind. _“I want to make you happy and not be left out when other people open their presents.”_

Spock sent back his feelings of contentment, but Jim was determined. So for the next two weeks until Christmas day, Jim worked hard trying either find the perfect gift or make one for Spock. It became a shared conspiracy all throughout the Grayson household.

It was unfortunate for Spock that the Grayson family lived in the part of Washington that got mountains of snow, and that year they were hit with a particularly rough blizzard that forced the entire family to remain indoors for three days until they were able to dig their way out to see the road. Vulcans and snow did not mix well as Spock found out.

Spock had been doing his part to help clear the frozen precipitation. His mother bundled him up in large mass of insulating clothing that Jim commented that Spock resembled a large snowball. To make matters worse his hearing was reduced with a pair of ear muffs that his grandmother got for him. They were white and depicted a bearded man presumed to be Santa with his rosy felt cheeks, his glittery red hat and black button eyes. They too had bells on them. Mother said it went well with his green elf hat.

Spock decided the reduced hearing was a blessing since he could not hear the annoying jingle he made whenever he moved. However he could not deny his mother's logic in wearing such loud articles of clothing since it made finding Spock far easier in the snow in case he got lost or fell into a tree well. At his ignorance of most snow related dangers, his Grandpa Richard warned him, “Now with snow this deep the trees 'round here make a deep pocket under their branches with less snow that you can fall into. This ain't Vulcan.”

“I have not experienced snow first hand, nor in such great amounts. I will make note of this.”

Jim of course knew of snow growing up in Iowa that got a decent amount. “My mom warns me about tree wells when it snows real hard! Put on your snow shoes and you'll be fine.”

With the last of his cold weather gear on, Spock resembled a Christmas elf that got stuck in a large snowball, and jingled with each waddling step he took. Spock promptly decided that he did not like snow. With his inexperience with this type of weather phenomena, he was bound to make errors when navigating.

Spock made two errors when venturing out into the snow within the first ten minutes and thirty seconds of being outside. His first error was not taking into account the increased density of Vulcans compared to humans when selecting snowshoes. Spock's second error was when walking near a bush, was not knowing that bush was in fact a sapling buried under approximately five and a half feet of snow. Spock fell in and was buried up to his nose in fresh white powder and still more was falling.

Spock jingled his head loudly as he called for help. Hoping that if they could not hear his voice, they could at least hear his bells. Jim, of course felt Spock's panic and came right away with his uncle, and cousins. Uncle Johnny snickered. “Sorry, I shouldn't be laughing but you look like an elf sprouting out the ground. Here, let us get you out.”

They unburied him and pulled him out. His cousin Lester grinned ear-to-ear. “Just like pulling a turnip out of the ground!”

“A Vulcan turnip!” His brother snickered.

Jim grabbed Spock the moment he saw Spock shiver. “Come on Spock! Let's get you inside!”

For the first time in Spock's life he came down with an illness his mother referred to as “The Sniffles” and took off all of his wet clothes and covered him in a mountain of blankets. Spock sneezed, and the motion caused his hat to jingle loudly. Sniffle. Jingle. Sniffle. Jingle, Jingle. Jim giggled and at seeing Spock's glare he stifled it. “Sorry, Spock. It's just that you sneeze like a kitten.”

“It's true my poor little kan-bu.” His mother cooed. “You sound like a kitten when you sneeze.”

Spock sneezed again, jingling even more. It made everyone snicker and coo. He did not want to be adorable. “I do not like this.”

“I know you don't.” His mother said as she pushed a bowl of tomato soup and crackers. “Eat. It'll help warm you up.”

Jim came trotting toward him with a hot pad for him, and stuck on his feet where he was coldest. “I'll help warm you up.”

Spock felt Jim cuddle up further next to him, enveloping him in a hug. Spock flushed green, and was grateful that he had the sniffles to blame on his physiological reaction. “I-I am most gratified, Jim. T-that helps.”

“Great! I'll cuddle you until you get all better!” Jim proclaimed.

For the rest of the day and throughout the night Jim stayed at Spock's side as his personal hot water bottle. Spock recovered the next morning. When Jim woke up and looked at him with those mesmerizing eyes and asked, “Morning! How are you feeling?”

Spock did not know what possessed him to lie and say, “I am still cold. I think I may need more...” Spock swallowed around his awful lie. “Hugs.”

Any guilt flew away when Jim hugged Spock to keep his Vulcan best friend and brother warm. “I will keep hugging and cuddling you until you get better! That alright with you?”

Spock nodded eagerly. He wanted more hugs, and cuddles and to sleep next to Jim for the rest of his life. He particularly enjoyed having Jim next to him at night. It was illogical to desire such a thing as cuddles but it was true. This would be one of the few times in his life that Spock deceived his t'hy'la for selfish reasons.

-

Spock spent the remainder of the holidays pretending to be cold in order to get more hugs from Jim. Spock said nothing and basked in the warmth that was given under a false pretense. When Christmas day finally came and the family ripped open their presents and Spock delicately dissecting his own, Spock shivered out of habit. Jim panicked. “Oh no! You're cold!”

Jim jumped into his lap and cuddled with Spock, even nuzzling into his neck. Spock drank up the warmth and love that radiated from his t'hy'la like the greedy illogical Vulcan that he was. Jim noticed that in the chaos of Christmas morning there was one present left under the tree. Spock's mother looked at the label and gave it to Spock. “This one is for you my little kan-bu.”

Jim perked up. “That one is from me! You are really hard to shop for but I think you'll really like it!”

Spock opened it and inside he found was a box of socks made from fleece with warm bright colors. They had the appearance of being handmade and were all very baggy, but Spock did not care about that detail. What nearly stole his breath was around the edges was Vulcan calligraphy stitched into the fabric. Each sock said “To keep my t'hy'la warm.”

Spock felt moisture in his eyes. “Jim... This is wonderful.”

“I knew you'd love it! Cus' You're always cold all the time and will help you when I'm not there to keep your feet warm. Grandma Diana and Amanda helped me make them.”

Amanda smiled, feeling giddy at the joy shining from the cracks of his Vulcan stoicism. “I made them a few sizes big to take in account for your growth spurt.”

Spock felt the guilt weigh down. “I do not deserve this grand gift. Jim... I have lied to you.”

Spock swallowed and tried to keep the shame and the tears back. “I have regained my health after one night. I deceived you for the selfish reason of desiring...” His Vulcan side balked at admitting something so grossly emotional. “I desired... _hugs_.”

The room burst into laughter, and Jim smiled ear to ear. Spock was mildly alarmed by this. Jim explained after he stuffed down his giggles. “I know that! You're really obvious, Spock. I just kinda figured it was one of your Spock-isms. If you want hugs you don't have to ask, just take 'em from me. I'll always give you hugs.”

Spock was stunned to say the least. “Was my desire for affection so obvious?”

Amanda wiped a tear from her eyes. “Spock, my son, you are a lot like your father. Did you know he uses logic to conceal his emotional acts? My name's literal translation is beloved, and he calls me that and uses the literal translation of my name as a cover for his own emotional displays.”

Spock's cheeks burned. “I am aware of that, yes. My logic fails me quite often. A failing I have trouble correcting.”

Amanda reached out and caressed her son's cheeks and temples, a great physical act of intimacy among Vulcans. She was allowed this in lieu of human acts of love as his mother. “Spock. Vulcans fail quiet often. They are not perfect. Let me tell you a dirty little secret about Vulcans. Here is a story your father told me, a story that has been passed down in his family about one of his, and your, ancestor.”

Spock straightened up with interest, the rest of the Grayson household too. “Long ago there was a Vulcan male who found himself in the grips of Shon-ha-lock for a Vulcan female. She patched up his injuries after he was in an accident, and sent him on his way. To see her again he did not use logic. He did not tell her his interest, nor attempted to speak to her clan mother of his intent to woo her. No, instead he injured himself just to see her again and have her patch him up. She saw through his guise after his third injury and told him to woo her properly if he wanted to wed her. He did later, and they married and had children. Their line stretched many generations that ended up with you. Do you know who this prime example illogical behavior in Vulcans was?”

Spock shook his head. This Vulcan sounded particularly foolish and illogical. It did not bode well for him that this Vulcan was apparently his ancestor. “No, who was this illogical individual?”

Amanda smiled. “Surak, the father of logic.” At Spock's stunned expression her smile widened. “Even Surak himself succumbed to the power of love. If even the father of logic could not rise above, then what chance do the rest of us have?”

Spock had to, metaphorically speaking of course, pick up his jaw from the floor. “That cannot be! Surak mastered his emotions!”

“There are many debates on that. Did Surak master his emotions by erasing them or by acknowledging their existence and living in balance with them so they do not control you? It is a topic of much controversy, Spock.”

Spock would meditate later on this question his mother brought up for many years to come. Spock would have to ask his father about this. If this story proved true then his interpretation of Surak's logic was wrong. His emotions were not as much of a product of his human heritage as he had thought. Looking at Jim, he realized that he was deep in the grips of shon-ha-lock. He was completely engulfed.

Jim surprised him with a hug. “I know you're Vulcan and you gotta act like it. That doesn't matter to me. I'll give you hugs whenever you feel cold or even when you're fine. You don't have to hug me back. I love you just the way you are. If you want hugs, you can tell me you got a cold so you can save face and get hugs, I'll understand and give you hugs anyway.”

Spock refused to display emotion, no matter how strong, but he knew that Jim understood anyway. Instead he quietly said, “Ah-choo.” After a pause he stated, “I believe I may have a lowered body temperature due to my inability to cope with this cold environment. I may need additional warmth, can you spare some?”

Jim beamed brightly and launched himself at Spock, hugging him as hard as he could and trying to pour every ounce of love his little body could give to Spock. Spock hugged him back, and a small smile slipped through before calmly stating, “I am embracing you to maximize the effectiveness of getting warmth from you.”

Jim grinned, and even though Spock couldn't see it he felt his amusement bubble from him. “Sure thing Spock. You're cold and hugging is only logical since it's a great way to warm up. Very logical.”

Spock fought the smile that bubbled up with his joy. He didn't care that he was making an emotional scene that would be told in the House of Grayson for years to come. “Yes, completely logical.”

Jim looked up and gasped as he pointed at something. “Oh! Spock look at what we've been sitting under!”

Spock's gaze was drawn upward at a sprig of a tiny green plant with white berries. Spock blushed. It was mistletoe, and Spock knew of this plant's traditions. There was a lot of snickering around him. Amanda gasped and giggled and dove into her purse for her PADD to take a picture. Jim clicked his tongue. “Aww man, mistletoe! Well, rules are rules. Sorry Spock but we gotta.”

Then Spock felt Jim draw closer and closer, until he felt Jim's lips brush against his cheeks. Spock's brain shut down momentarily at the explosion of sensation such an innocent and pure gesture of love. What stunned Spock was that he knew that Jim kissed him on the cheek not because it was a tradition, but because he wanted to show Spock affection. Spock was not bold enough to return it, even on a place as platonic as the cheek, but everyone who saw the picture that Amanda took could see quite plainly his expression of surprise melting into joy.

That Christmas was his favorite, and the many pairs of socks he got from Jim he wore quite often. Even when Spock was back on Vulcan and Jim was back on Earth, he illogically still felt like Jim was giving his feet a hug. If other Vulcans saw the slip of the garishly bright colors of his socks they did not comment on them. When he wore those socks out, he would find more mailed to him from Jim with the same message stitched in Vulcan calligraphy: “An embrace to warm my t'hy'la.”

 

* * *

 

Jim was nine and Spock was fifteen when he learned the anatomical differences between humans and Vulcans was more than just pointy ears and green blood. It was a lot more. It was during one of Spock's many visits that Jim learned something new about his best friend and Vulcan brother. Specifically that every guy was different down there, especially if he came from another planet.

Jim was excited because this week, Spock was babysitting him, which meant more fun. Spock let him and Sam watch movies they usually weren't allowed. Today they were watching some twentieth horror century flick called The Shining. Spock thought it was a documentary about the physics of light reflection and refraction. Spock was horrified to learn that he was very wrong. Jim laughed when he whispered “red rum” into his pointed ears and saw Spock flinch.

“Don't Vulcans have horror movies?” Jim asked.

“The closest approximation is the ritual of Tarul-Etek. It uses disturbing imagery like these Terran horror movies, but for the purpose of testing one's ability to suppress emotions.”

That was when Sam had the worst idea ever. “Hey! I've got a great idea! Spock let's test you out with some Earth horror movies! I bet we've come up with far worse than anything you Vulcans could come up with.”

“Of that I have no doubt.” Spock cooly replied.

What followed was Sam and Jim trying to show Spock the most terrifying movies they could find in order to provoke a response. It became a contest. Jim won when he showed not a horror movie but a regular show from the twentieth century called MacGyver. Spock was horrified, and visibly so. “He made a bomb from sweets?!”

Jim mouthed to Sam, “I win.”

Spock turned the holoscreen off. “I think it time to cease studying ancient Earth television. You both have reports for school to complete.”

“Aww. I don't want to.” Sam didn't want to do homework. “Uncle Frank at least didn't make us do that.”

Jim punched Sam in the arm. “Don't jinx it! Spock is the best babysitter ever. I loving having Spock around!”

Spock felt warmth at Jim's praise. “I am pleased by your high opinion of me, Jim. Though I must confess, Frank Davis sets a low bar as far as caretakers go.”

Jim giggled. “Uncle Frank sucks, I'm glad he's got an itch that'll last seven years!”

Spock raised a brow. “His ailment will last that long?”

Winona Kirk had no choice because Uncle Frank had what she referred to as “The Seven Year Itch”. Jim thought, and hoped, that it meant he was in the woods and used poison ivy as toilet paper and broke a mirror so his butt would itch for seven years. According to Sam it wasn't. Sam rolled his eyes. “Uncle Frank has the Davis family Seven Year Itch, and it doesn't last seven years.”

“Seven year itch?” Spock asked.

“Yeah. Every seven years our Uncle Frank goes nuts and looks for girls to have sex with for a few days. Seven years ago I heard mom yell at him for getting some weird STD from his Tellarite girlfriend. He says he lost control of his brain when he did it with her, I say Uncle Frank never had a brain to begin with.”

Jim pulled a face. “Ewww! That's gross!”

Spock raised an eyebrow. It sounded eerily like Pon Farr in Vulcans. It would provide further evidence of this family's Vulcan lineage. “A curious phenomena. You say this is a family trait?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. Everyone in the family gets it, at least on Grandpa Jim's side. I think there is a movie about it with Marilyn Monroe in it. Except mom. Great Aunt Jen says its because she snapped when Dad died. I can believe it.”

Spock filed away this interesting piece of information. It was very common for pon farr cycles to be disrupted upon the death of a mate. In fact a broken bond that has been left untreated would explain much of Winona Kirk's behavior. Especially in how she treats her younger son, born the day of her mate's death. Jim poked Spock. “What'cha thinking about?”

“About the Vulcan traits your family may have inherited.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “That Mestral Story that Grandpa Jim told? I thought that was a bunch of horse shit.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps it is not equine feces. We Vulcans have a similar seven year mating cycle. It is only disrupted through age, Kolinahr training, injury to the reproductive organs or a broken bond if the bond was strong enough.”

Jim sat up straighter. “Really? So you guys get the Seven Year Itch too?”

Spock shrugged. “Not yet. Only when I become an adult.”

“So you'll run around looking for girls like Uncle Frank?”

Spock shook his head. “No. I will not betray you my t'hy'la. I have no interest in females.”

Jim beamed brightly as he gazed back at Spock. “Good! 'Cus I don't like girls either! Only you! You're lots better than girls! They're infected with cooties!”

Sam choked and spat out his soda. All over Spock. Sam tried to keep a straight face. “Sorry, Spock... I'll uh... Do that homework. You and Juliet- I mean Jimmy can do whatever. I'm out.”

Spock watched Sam leave, hearing him mutter, “Ugh, pointy eared Romeo's getting so gross and lovey dovey... Maybe mom was right...” Sam's comm buzzed. “Oh! It's Aurelan!”

Then Spock watched Sam run off and shut the bathroom door behind him and lock it. Spock winced at the sticky substance in his hair, face and shirt. It was most unpleasant. “Jim, I must clean myself. I shall use your water shower upstairs. Can you put my shirt in the laundry?”

Jim nodded and took Spock's shirt to the laundry hamper. He then felt nature calling his name. Spock was in one bathroom and so he decided to use the one downstairs. Unfortunately Sam was in there. Jim pounded on the door. “Sam I gotta pee!”

“I'm busy- Sorry Aurelan, what did you say you were wearing again?”

Jim groaned. His brother was on the comm with his girlfriend and in the bathroom. Which meant his brother was probably having phone sex with her. Jim gagged when he heard certain noises coming out of the bathroom. Noises his brother made when he was playing with himself. “You're so gross Sam! Why can't you do that crap in your room?!”

“Shut up you pest! Go use the one upstairs!”

Jim stomped his foot, and yelled through the door, “Hey Aurelan! Sam stinks and he's got a small wiener!”

“ARGG! Go away Jim! I'm so gonna kill you!”

Jim stomped off and muttered curses at his brother Sam. Jim ran upstairs, truly feeling the desperate need to pee and was now doing the pee dance on his way to the only other toilet in the house. His last resort would be going outside behind the big oak in front of the cows and horses. Jim heard the shower still running and opened the door. “Hey Spock! It's just me, I need to use the toilet! Hope you don't mind!”

“I do not, Jim.” Spock's voice echoed from the shower. Jim ran in and did his business. The hot steam obscured Spock's form in the shower. The clear glass fogged up so neither could clearly make out the other, giving some illusion of privacy. After Jim finished washing his hands, Spock finished up in the shower and stepped out to grab a towel. Jim couldn't help but turn and look at the sound of movement. For the first time in Jim's life he saw what a naked Vulcan looked like in the front.

Jim had seen Spock's butt a few times while they changed clothes for the pool or camping, but he had never seen Spock naked in the front. It was this jarring moment that Jim realized how alien his best friend and sworn brother was. Between Spock's legs was a nest of black hair and a slit with a pair of testicles that clung close to his body instead of hanging down like Sam's or Uncle Frank's below that slit. There was no penis, just that slit. “Spock?”

“Yes?”

“Are you a girl?”

“No. I am a male.”

Jim kept staring as Spock toweled his hair dry. “Then where's your wiener?”

Spock paused in drying himself to raise an eyebrow. “My lok? It is inside my sa-haf like all Vulcan males. We evolved in a desert world. It is more logical to protect our reproductive organs from sand, heat, and our sun's radiation. That is why the testis are close to the body and covered by many layers of fat and thick skin compared to humans.”

Spock parted his pubic hair to better show the slit and Jim saw that the inside was an olive green color. From it emerged the head of his penis, and Jim could see that it had two ridges. “It that it?”

Spock shook his head. “That is as far out it will extend right now. I have not experienced the Wuh'rak Abrun.”

Spock grabbed a towel and covered the source of Jim's current morbid curiosity. “What's the Wuh'rak Abrun? First something? I don't know what Abrun is.”

“First Erection.” Spock explained. “It is a part of puberty in Vulcans... Has someone explained human puberty to you yet?”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Of course I know what that is. There was movie they showed us in class and Uncle Bill and Aunt Jo told me more and that I should wait until marriage or if I really love the person and they love me back. Something about hair in weird places, and hormones and locking yourself in the bathroom to jack off while talking to your girlfriend like Sam does.”

Spock dried himself off and started putting on a clean change of clothes. “In Vulcans it is different. We mature sexually later than humans do. I will not be physically capable of mating until I experience the Wuh'rak Abrun, and I will not be considered a fully mature adult until I go through my first Pon Farr.”

“What's Pon Farr?”

Spock hesitated. “I suppose you must know... It is the seven year mating cycle in Vulcans.”

“Like the seven year itch?”

“Similar, yes, but I believe there may be... differences. The Wuh'rak Abrun is said to be a precursor to the Pon Farr. A small taste of what is to come later in life. The majority of Vulcan males experience it between the ages of sixteen and nineteen.”

Spock thought of what he had heard from his father, and the whispers he had heard from his older classmates. The Wuh'rak Abrun was said to be painful, and the desire to mate overwhelming almost to the point of madness. Spock looked down at his sa-haf where his own lok was, and mentally compared it to glimpses he had seen of an adult male's. By accident he had interrupted his parents copulating on three separate occasions, and Spock had seen what his father looked like aroused. Would he be similar to his father or would his human blood make him more different than he already was? Spock could almost hear Stonn mocking him, calling him inferior.

Jim was at times sensitive to Spock's emotions. “Spock? You okay?”

“I am fine. I am merely contemplating what I will look like as an adult. I am half human, so there are many variables to consider.”

“I wonder too, I bet I'll be good looking. Everyone says I look like my dad and that he was a good looking guy.”

Spock felt self conscious and finished covering himself. Jim was most aesthetically pleasing, he could have many mates far more superior to an outcast like Spock. Right now he was becoming gangly and awkward in appearance due to his growth spurts. Mother said that he was handsome like his father. “I was told by my mother that I resemble my father. I am unsure if I will be considered attractive. I am not considered popular at school.”

Jim seemed outraged by this. “Not popular?! But you're so cool!”

“I am a halfbreed, the first documented of my kind past infancy, and therefore different.”

Jim held out his first two fingers in offer of a Vulcan kiss, one Spock eagerly took. Jim smiled and Spock felt Jim's love for him, pure and radiant. “Well, for what it's worth I think you're good looking, especially the bits that make you different.”

Spock felt lightened by this. “Likewise.”

Spock decided even if never met up to Vulcan standards of beauty or even human ones, all that mattered was what Jim thought. As long as one James T Kirk thought that Spock was attractive, then logically he was.

 

* * *

 

Spock was still fifteen and Jim was nine when Spock discovered the joy of the awkward ravages of puberty and self-consciousness where his appearance was concerned. It was also when they finally made that trip the aquarium. They were supposed to go on Jim's seventh birthday, but it was put on hold since Spock got drunk on chocolate cake and it took several years for Winona to trust Spock to travel far with her son without any supervision. Spock had to prove himself to be neither a serial kidnapper nor loco for cocoa. One unfortunate incident with a slice of birthday cake and he was forever branded a drunkard.

Chocolate was either hidden or eaten when the Kirk household was warned of Spock's visits and his name became associated with a dry spell. It made Spock less popular with the other residents of the Kirk household. Sam was particularly unhappy by the chocolate prohibition since it meant cutting out an large portion of his diet. Jim at least was happy as always to see Spock and didn't mind the sacrifice.

Spock was on Earth for one of his mother's visits to her family in Seattle. It was his Grandma Diana's birthday and the affair was turned into a Grayson family reunion. After an obligatory visit to awkwardly socialize with his human relatives, his mother finally released him from his duty to see the one person he wanted to see most: Jim. “Okay Spock, go see Jim, and tell him I said hi.”

“Affirmative, Mother.”

“You look after that boy now, Spock! Jim is a fine boy with a stressed out mother!” Grandma Diana called out.

Spock gave his relatives the ta'al and took off on his speeder. His father gave him his old desert speeder on his fifteenth birthday since Spock reached enough height to handle it. At sixteen he was tall, gangly, and all awkward limbs. He was taller than his mother now, and for some reason she referred him to a “skinny green bean with pointy ears.”

To Spock's mild annoyance his Aunt Doris hugged him, and commented that he looks like an awkward colt that doesn't know how to use his legs yet. His Grandfather Richard laughed and said, “It's comforting to know that puberty is as awkward for Vulcans as it is for humans. Oh! I think I see a pimple! And it's green! It's okay Spock. Your mother had skin problems at your age too. Here, I've got some pictures around here somewhere...”

After seeing his mother be embarrassed for once, Spock sped off to the station to use the transporter to get to Riverside's station. As he looked in his speeder's mirrors, he caught his reflection. At seeing the green blemish on his chin he felt an illogical pang of fear. What if Jim was disgusted by the sight of it? What if Jim recoiled from physical contact? Spock decided Jim finding him physically unappealing was unacceptable and Spock contemplated solutions to his skin problem. Perhaps he could use cosmetics to conceal it? Spock knew of few Vulcans who he knew to use make-up. Spock decided to take out his PADD and sent a subspace message to T'Pring. _“T'Pring. I have a query. Which cosmetics is most effective in concealing blemishes on a Vulcan male?”_

When she replied, Spock could detect her amusement in her words. _“It is surprising that you are displaying vanity, but understandable if you are having a rendezvous with your mate. If you are on Earth than I suggest going to Infinite Diversity Infinite Beauty that is located in San Fransisco. They shall have what you require. May I also request you get their new shade of Terra Green lipstick for me? I shall of course reimburse you, but they only sell their products on location and do not ship off-world. My cousin shopped there and now it has become popular among my female classmates.”_

It sounded reasonable to Spock. T'Pring wished to demonstrate superior beauty to her female peers and Spock felt a need to look aesthetically pleasing for his t'hy'la. Spock decided to take a detour to this shop, and changed his transporter ticket to San Fransisco.

The shop was located in the Vulcan district and sold a number of Vulcan beauty supplies. They also had a number of perfumes and cosmetics that were a mix of Vulcan, Earth and other worlds. When Spock walked in he was greeted by a Vulcan woman. “Greetings. I am T'Pris, the owner of this establishment. What do you require?”

“I require this be concealed...” Spock felt a flicker of self-consciousness as he pointed to the green blemish on his face. “And perhaps enhance my features to be more pleasing for my mate?”

She did not look surprised. “You appear to be fifteen standard years, correct?”

Spock nodded. The woman had a faint look of humor in her eyes. “Ah. You are at the age where Vulcans become more concerned by their appearance, especially how their bondmates view them. Come, I will assist you in finding a color pallet that logically compliments your features.”

The Vulcan woman helped him apply skin powders and eye shadows and showed him how to sharpen his eyebrows. Overall his features were twenty-four percent smoother and sharper. Spock purchased the required items along with T'Pring's requested lipstick and check the time. If Spock took the public transporters he could make it to Jim's school to surprise him when he gets out well before the appointed time.

-

It was the last day before Earth summer vacation, and Winona would be off-planet for a month. That meant Jim needed a babysitter and Frank would all but push Jim into Spock's arms. Sarek took the liberty of informing Spock that his cousin Selek would be doing research on marine lifeforms on Earth and would be nearby in case of emergencies as well as a source of information for future research. Spock's PADD buzzed and he saw a message from Jim. _“Hey, are you on Earth? I've got a feeling in my gut.”_

Spock fought a smile as he typed back, _“I am. I am on my way to pick you up at your school.”_

“ _Holy crap! That's awesome! I haven't seen you in months! We going to usual ice cream place and heading to the house to play some games?”_

“ _Negative. We are going on a trip to San Fransisco for a week. We will stay in my father's suite at the Vulcan Embassy. I will show you the itinerary when I arrive, the main attraction shall be the historic Monterey Bay Aquarium. My cousin Selek is a biologist there and will be showing us his current research on cloning several extinct Earth species and reintroducing them to the wild.”_

Spock smiled as his PADD buzzed as he received a flood of happy face emojis and gifs of fireworks. He took this as sign that Jim was pleased by this news. Spock finally saw Jim's school in sight and parked his speeder. From the looks of things he had a few minutes before classes let out. He took off his helmet and carded his fingers through his hair.

Spock took in his own appearance in his mirror. His make-up was adequate, and he had traded robes for more practical replicated leather black pants and a biker jacket. According to his research on the human sociological concept of “coolness” as determined by ancient human experts like Elvis and The Fonz, Spock believed he achieved it with his appearance and mode of transportation. Jim was sure to be impressed. His sensitive hearing picked up murmurs from the windows, children were staring at him.

“Woah! Who's the cool guy on the hoverbike?”

“He's got pointy ears!”

“He's a Vulcan!”

“He's really dreamy!”

“What's a cool guy like him doing here?”

Spock heard the one voice that made his katra sing with joy. _T'hy'la!_ He looked and saw Jim standing at his classroom window looking at him with a joy that equaled his own. “That's Spock! He's here for me!”

Spock raised his hand and greeting his t'hy'la with the ta'al. Their eyes locked and he felt Jim's joy at seeing him. Spock then heard the bell and children shot out of the classrooms. Spock stood and waited patiently by his speeder. Jim came out with a sea of children and ran toward Spock. He missed Spock, and almost nothing could spoil his mood. Not even Finnegan making kissing sounds with his lips and catcalling Jim about his “Vulcan boyfriend” and being an overall little shit. Jim ran up to Spock and pressed his palm against Spock's. Spock did not do hugs in public but he eagerly accepted pressing their palms together in el'ru'esta. Jim took in Spock's appearance. He ditched the usual robes in favor of tight black leather pants and jacket like those old guys in ancient Earth movies. Jim noticed a blue color around his eyes. “Are you wearing make-up?”

Spock raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “A little.” He admitted. “Is my appearance pleasing?”

“Yeah! You look really cool Spock! Hold on let me take a picture of this! Make a pose like James Dean!”

Spock leaned back on the motercycle and gave Jim's PADD the Vulcan salute. When Jim was satisfied he showed Spock the picture. “You look so cool Spock! Like a holovid star or something! Everyone is gonna be so jealous that I've got you as my t'hy'la!”

Spock silently vowed to make cosmetics a habit. “Ready to depart Jim?”

Jim grinned, and grabbed Spock other helmet and got behind Spock on his speeder. Spock's breathing hitched as he felt Jim's body heat and arm tightly encircle his waist. Spock had to admit a certain appeal to the vibrating engine beneath him and his t'hy'la fully embracing him as they sped down the road to the Kirk homestead.

When they arrived they were met with Frank and Sam. Spock did not exchange any greetings beyond a curt nod from Sam and an impolite hand gesture from Frank. Spock sat at the table while Jim procured them a snack while Spock went over their planned itinerary at the aquarium.“...Along with the species my cousin has cloned back from extinction, There is also an interplanetary botanical garden and several beaches of interest within reasonable distance. They have also have opportunities to swim with dolphins and cuddle with Andorian otters that thrive on attention from humanoids. Now it is best to go pack Jim.”

Jim looked like he was going to overload with joy. He tried to speak but nothing came out. Sam of course was angry. “How come Jim gets to go to California for summer vacation and I'm stuck here?”

Frank took a swig of what looked suspiciously like beer. “You can go wherever you want when you get your own sugar daddy. Just do me a favor and make sure yours doesn't have pointy ears.”

Spock narrowed his eyes at Frank, and silently went upstairs to help Jim pack for his three days in San Francisco. Spock's distaste for Frank never disappeared. The man never learned responsibility nor did his thinly veiled xenophobia go way. Spock found himself wondering why Winona would make this man look after her children when he is so unqualified.

Spock held out his fingers, which Jim took automatically and they walked out of the house with Jim's backpack filled with a few changes of clothes. Spock saw Frank giving him what his mother referred to as The Stink Eye. Spock stared back, and had to recite Surak's proverbs mentally to keep himself from growling at this man. “I may wish to keep him longer than the aforementioned three days. San Fransisco has many learning opportunities.”

“I don't care how long you keep him. Take the little punk. One less kid I have look after and feed for the Summer.”

Spock lifted an eyebrow. “Very well Frank Davis. I shall keep him since that is your wish.” Spock took this rare opportunity and opened up a file on his PADD that he had been saving for the moment he could take Jim away forever. “Please sign this form indicating that you are assigning me his keeper.”

Frank rolled his eyes and signed his name with only a cursory glance. “Here. Signed. Jim is yours for the summer, now can you just go? You're creeping me out.”

Spock nodded curtly. “Someone from the Embassy will come for Jim's other possessions that he may want or need. A copy of this form will be sent to you. Thank you, Frank Davis. Live long and prosper.”

It would not be until Winona got back to Earth three months later to figure out that Frank just signed an adoption form and that he just gave away custody to Jim, illegally. Spock put Jim's backpack in the storage compartment of his speeder and together they sped off with Jim clinging tightly to his back. They glided over the landscape at over hundred miles an hour, the inertia dampeners made it feel like barely nothing. What Spock felt more than the vibrating engines was Jim's thrill at getting out of that house and his thoughts of how good Spock smelled.

-

Spock and Jim arrived to the aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium had been here for centuries and since then expanded out under the sea with connecting tunnels to each of the sea domes. They were all made from transparent aluminum to better view the ocean all around them. It was, Spock had to admit, had much appeal for a Vulcan biologist and gave him consideration to apply here. He saw why his cousin was content here. “Cousin Selek, these facilities are well equipped. I find myself almost envious.”

Jim was gawping nonstop at the kelp forest around them. His nose pressed against the windows at a pack of otters swimming by and catching urchins. One of the otters swam up to Jim and seemed to show off. “Wow, this is so cool!”

Selek nodded. “Indeed. The temperature is usually much colder in the sea domes. Come, I shall you the latest species we have cloned from centuries old tissue samples. I believe it is my finest achievement.”

Spock and Jim followed the Vulcan to another sea dome further out and floated closer to the surface. Spock observed his cousin transmit an unusual sound. Then two exceptionally large creatures swam up to the dome. Spock's eyes widened. Jim gasped. “Oh my god! Are those whales?!”

Selek puffed up proudly. “Humpback whales. Until five years ago they had been extinct for centuries. I cloned this male and female from old samples that had been preserved in Norway, and gestated them in an exo-womb, the largest ever built. We are currently breeding them in hopes of reintroducing the species into the wild. There are of course other tissue samples that in time we hope to use to give their species enough genetic diversity to continue.”

Spock eyed the whales with great interest. “They are magnificent creatures.”

“Indeed. I have noted that they are highly intelligent and quite sensitive.”

“Do they have names?” Jim asked the older Vulcan.

Selek sighed. “My human colleagues have designated them, George and Gracie. They will answer to no other label now.”

Jim watched the whales swim by them with excitement, Spock was also openly showing fascination with these creatures. It would be un-Vulcan to press his nose and hands against the window and drool, but it was tempting. Selek noticed his cousin's fascination. He commented, “I often swim with George and Gracie and communicate with them through a mind meld while my colleagues take notes and can better see to their needs.”

Spock nodded. “Logical. Mind melds are most efficient means of communication, especially given the vast differences in abilities to communicate.”

“Indeed. In a recent discovery that I have made, I found that they also respond positively to some types of music. They are quite fond of recording of various pieces on the ky'athrya, such as Falor's Journey and T'Plana's rendition of The Song of The Fire Plains, however their favorite is a Terran piece: Clair de Lune.”

An eyebrow raise from Spock. “Truly?”

Selek viewed them with almost visible amusement. “Truly. They even sing along. If you wish cousin, you and your t'hy'la may join me. I would welcome another Vulcan to communicate with them.”

Spock straightened up and showed briefly his joy before concealing it. “That would be most agreeable.”

Jim bounced up and down. He did not contain his excitement. “Yes! Oh my god that would be so awesome! Can we Spock? Please? Please? Pretty please?”

Spock controlled his impulse to dive in and communicate with these large gentle giants of the Earth's oceans. “If it is safe, and we take the usual precautions.”

Selek nodded. “It is. Come.”

When Selek suited them up and took them to the water, Spock had to admit it was a singular experience in meeting these alien sea creatures. Spock learned that they were intelligent and as sensitive as Selek said. Spock had never melded with a creature so alien, only Vulcans and humans. While Gracie's mind was not as appealing as Jim's, it was notable and he learned much. Like the fact they were teenagers like him and navigating their way around their own relationship. He also learned that she was pregnant for the first time ever and that she thought Jim seemed like a wonderful mate and hoped that they had many calves together. Spock did not have the heart to tell her that his uterus being mostly vestigial and Jim being male, neither of them could bear children.

Then a new song entered the water. Spock and Jim turned to the sea dome and realized that someone installed speakers to the outside, because the soft sounds of Clair de Lune reverberated through the water. George and Gracie started to sing and dance through the water, their movements disturbed the phytoplankton causing them to glow as they swam with their fins brushing against each other in their dance. It was truly an ethereal sight.

Jim in this incredibly blue ocean seemed to shine like the sun even under several dozen feet of water. Jim's hand grabbed his and electric sensations ran up his arm. Spock looked at Jim, neither could speak with the artificial gill masks covering their nose and mouths, but Spock saw Jim's eyes smile. _Dance with me._ Spock felt Jim's thought reverberate through his katra like the music did through the water. _I do not know how._ Spock responded, at a loss as to why this beautiful creature would choose a gangly awkward halfbreed like Spock. Jim still wanted him and kept smiling at him. _Then I'll show you. Dance with me Spock. Its fun._

Spock could not refuse, nor did he want to. Spock blushed as Jim grabbed both of their hands, palms pressed flush against each other, and their gazes firmly locked. Jim led Spock through the water, aglow from the bioluminescent plankton, and together they swayed to the haunting beauty of Clair de Lune playing from a speaker and the whales singing along. _You are beautiful._

The thought came to Jim and Spock at the same time, and then they became lost in each other. The world beyond the sea drifted away, and there was only two pairs of lovers dancing to the music echoing in the ocean without a care for anything beyond simply dancing with their partner. Spock realized that his makeup was not waterproof and that his pimple was visible and that Jim still thought he was beautiful, blemishes and all. Spock learned that for all the wonders of the universe and the depths of alien seas, none were as beautiful as this simple feeling he and Jim shared with each other.

-

After their remarkable experience at the aquarium, Spock and Jim were greeted warmly when they arrived at the Vulcan Embassy, or as warm as Vulcans got. Soren, his father's aide and close associate showed them the room they would be staying in. Unsurprisingly it had only one bed, a large king size. Spock knew it was because he and Jim were recorded as being t'hy'la and married. Jim thought nothing beyond a sleepover with his Vulcan brother and if he could jump on it. Spock gave Jim a nod, and Jim played and poked around his new room while Spock spoke to Soren.

Spock handed Soren the adoption form. “Send this to my father and to our lawyers. I will also require someone to go to the Kirk residence to fetch the rest of my t'hy'la's possessions.”

Soren nodded and looked almost pleased. “This is most agreeable news. Shall I also arrange for a fitting for James Kirk's robes and his vaccinations for when we take him to Vulcan?”

Spock nodded. “That will be logical. Inform my clan's healer, T'Val. I wish for Jim to receive a full check up.”

Soren nodded and left. Spock went into his room... that he was now to share with Jim, his t'hy'la and his mate. The bed was thoroughly ruffled and Jim was rolling around on it. Spock told Jim the news. “Jim, I have made arrangements for you to come with me to Vulcan.”

“For the rest of summer?!”

“Affirmative. Perhaps even longer.”

“Really?! That's so cool! Will we be bunk buddies on Vulcan as well?”

Spock nodded. “We are t'hy'la. It is only logical that we share a living space, but you shall have your own room if you wish to sleep alone and have a private place to meditate and study.”

Jim leapt out of the bed and hugged Spock. “This'll be so cool! It'd be even cooler if I were moving...”

Spock in the privacy of their room, allowed a small smile to appear on his face. “Jim. You are coming to live with me. Look at the form your uncle signed.”

Jim blinked and looked at the PADD and the top of a really long document said in Vulcan, “Transfer of custody of guardianship” and from what Jim understood they were some kind of legal mumbo jumbo that said that Spock has adopted Jim. He looked up at Spock. “Frank gave me away? Is this legal?”

Spock nodded. “I do not think he quite understood he signed permanent custody of you over to me, but if it gets you away from him I will not as you humans say, look a gift equine in the mouth.”

Jim's mouth hung open. “So I'm going to Vulcan? I won't see Mom, or Sam or any of my friends at school?”

“They are welcome to visit, except Frank Davis. I do not like him and he is not permitted to step foot on our family estate.”

Jim was shocked. He was moving to Vulcan. No more Riverside Iowa. No more Uncle Frank. No more Sam. No more Mom. No more farm house and all the animals, from the horses, the cows, the goats, and even the cats. “I'm gonna miss Trigger, and Daisy, and Freya... All the barn cats too. Especially Spock Junior and Stinky.”

Spock resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Stinky was a poor name for a magnificent creature like the domestic feline, and Spock saw very little resemblance between himself and the cat Jim insisted on calling Spock Junior. “We can get a sehlat cub.”

Jim perked right up. “Really?!”

Spock nodded. “Yes. There are many reputable sehlat breeders we can contact. As they are native to Vulcan, they will be better suited to our environment... And since I-Chaya's demise, my home has been bereft of the therapeutic presence of a house pet. Yes, we would benefit from procuring a sehlat, they make excellent guards and can assist me in protecting you.”

“Yay!”

Jim got up and hugged Spock. Spock blushed a little at the physical contact. “I am gratified that you are most amenable to adopting a native Vulcan animal.”

Jim smiled. “That's your way of saying 'I totally stoked about getting a Sehlat but emotions are dumb and can't show it.' Yeah, Spock, I know better.”

At times Jim's insight into Spock's thought processes and the internal emotional well could take his breath away. Other times Jim was oblivious to just how detrimental he was to Spock's emotional controls, and Spock was grateful for that small mercy. Surak's grace be with him the day Jim found out that he could undo Spock completely with a simple touch.

-

Spock had taken Jim to Vulcan not long after their visit to the aquarium on an ambassadorial transport using his father's credentials. He was warmly welcomed by his clan who felt relieved that one half of their precious t'hy'la pair was no longer in the custody of emotionally ill and neglectful humans. It was cause for the clan to gather for a celebration wearing their finest robes. Which in Vulcan terms was tame by Earth standards. Meditative music played by the skilled members of the clan and a feast of Vulcan mollusks in Rombollian butter.

Jim picked at one tentacle on his plate skeptically. He turned to Spock and asked quietly, “I thought Vulcans were vegetarian?”

Spock raised a brow. “Vulcan mollusks have been a subject of great debate among scholars. Some say they are plants, and others insist they are animals.”

Sarek commented, “That debate had been settled centuries ago in The Great Mollusk Trials to appease the Vulcans that saw the illogic of giving up a valuable food source when it is harvested ethically without any harm to the life form, be it plant or animal.”

T'Pell, Sarek's aunt and the preparer of the Vulcan Mollusk dishes agreed. “The Vulcan Mollusk is a valuable source of nutrients and heathy fats that are rarely seen elsewhere in traditional Vulcan cuisine.”

T'Para, Sarek's other aunt and the preparer of a Vulcan vegetable casserole also on the table refuted, “But it cannot be argued that the debate was settled prematurely in favor of keeping a food stock that may or may not be compliant with Surak's tenants of eating no flesh from any animal.”

Great Aunt T'Para and Great Aunt T'Pell started The Great Mollusk Debate all over again. Amanda smiled at Jim and stage whispered, “This what Vulcan fighting looks like.”

Selik, Sarek's brother scoffed. “There is no greater a controversial dish on a Vulcan table than baked buttered mollusk.”

T'Rama, Sarek and Selik's mother added, “Nothing short of a pre-reform brisket, but that point is moot since Chorka are extinct.”

Jim poked at his controversial and politically incorrect food with a fork. One of the tentacles unfurled and oozed butter. His mom always told him to eat his food because there may come a time when food wouldn't be so available, especially homemade cooked food not from a replicator. Jim told himself as he ate a bit of the chewy tentacles, that at least it wasn't Raisin Bran. Jim couldn't pretend Raisin Bran was the legendary Kraken eating his ship the HMS Enterprise on the seven seas. Jim smiled as he “fought” against his dastardly dinner.

Spock's fingers snuck their way under the table and as usual the spark of their bond lit up when his fingers found Jim's hand. Spock whispered through their bond, _“Your imagination is admirable, my t'hy'la, but I do not think my family understands your methods of dividing your food into smaller pieces.”_

Jim smiled. _“It strategy! Since the food is weird and gross, I'm making it fun so I'll eat it and not hurt your family's feelings.”_

“ _They will not have their 'feelings' hurt. That would be illogical.”_

“ _But isn't this like their favorite or something?”_

Spock nodded. _“Indeed. They are a delicacy that can only be enjoyed on the rare occasion. They can only be harvested when T'Khut and T'Rhukmai are in perfect alignment and the tides of the Voroth Sea are highest The Vulcan mollusk casts off their reproductive organs to spawn and we collect them for consumption.”_

Jim dropped his fork and couldn't help his outburst. “I've been eating some strange planimal's penis?!”

“Planimal?” Skon, Spock's grandfather, asked.

Jim blushed as he saw the whole table of Vulcans looking at him. “Plant-animal. Planimal. It's both, so calling it planimal sounds logical to me.”

Jim saw a series of eyebrow raises and if Jim didn't know any better Spock's family was almost amused by it. Solkar, who's illness had been getting worse and worse these past few years became lucid enough for a few hours to welcome Jim. He rarely left his home these days and only made this exception for this clan gathering where there is less shame in displaying emotion before one's blood. His emotional controls were nonexistent nowadays. Solkar threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Ha! Planimal! Such a marriage of two very different categories would hardly ever occur to a Vulcan mind! Its so illogical and yet so delightful in its unpredictably! How fascinating!”

The table stiffened. To a human such emotionalism was excusable, even expected, but in a Vulcan it was unnatural and a cause for shame. Solkar smiled wrinkly pointed ear to wrinkly pointed ear at Jim. “You are a joy to have Jim! I feel content now that my family's t'hy'la pair are joined together at last and Spock can be complete. I weep at not being able to meld with thee and see thy bond for myself! The most superior of all love that our poets praise! A passion greater than what comes to us every seven years! I am envious and yet so proud that it is my great-grandson that has found such a bond!”

The table blushed at the mention of the unspeakable Pon Farr. T'Pau looked sadly at her bondmate. Jim noticed that under the table she had been holding Solkar's hand the entire time. After dinner Spock explained that T'Pau had been attempting to shield and control her bondmates emotions with little success. Jim liked Solkar and thought he was a cool old guy.

-

It was several weeks later that Solkar died. As per his wishes in his dying hour that he wanted his katra to be carried to Mount Seleya for his final journey to join his ancestors in The Hall of Ancient Thought. In his last hour he made a most unusual, but not surprising, request; that Jim be selected as The Keeper with Spock at his side. Solkar's weak, trembling fingers latched onto Jim's psi points and with his last breath he whispered, “Vokau.”

Jim and Spock were taken to the hall with several Kohlinar adepts to meditate in solitude to watch over the transfer. Spock ever at Jim's side assisted in his second forefather's katra transfer. He knew exactly why Solkar chose Jim. Due to his long battle with Bendii Syndrome he could not see Spock and Jim's t'hy'la bond for himself. Now with his katra in Jim's mind, Solkar's living spirit could gaze at their bond and marveled at the ease with which he could come and go between Jim and Spock. _“My great-grandsons... I am fulfilled to at last to see your bond. It is truly a rare and beautiful sight. Your minds are connected so deeply and intimately... I can see why. Your katra is the same, two bodies, two minds, and one single great katra shared between. Two large for one single being.”_

Jim frowned as he saw in his mindspace, Solkar standing strong and young before the great tree that represented his bond to Spock. With how close Spock was physically, the space between their bond became indistinct. Spock was here. He was always here, Jim corrected. _“Spock is me?”_

“ _Yes. You are Spock. Spock is you. That is what it is to be t'hy'la. Humans have no single word to comprehend its full meaning. Friend. Brother. Lover. So much more. Even soulmate does not do it justice. Look at this glorious oasis. You, Jim, are human. Mostly. You should not have katras and bonds, but you have the strongest of all.”_

Spock walked beside Jim, as he always did and always will. He looked at Solkar with questions. _“Honorable Grandfather, why choose Jim as Keeper and not me if all you wished to see was our bond? I would not have needed meditation guides.”_

“ _Because I owe an apology to Jim.”_

Solkar looked to Jim, and he felt his regret ripple through the mindspace. _“Not long after I made official first contact with Earth, I discovered a Vulcan having lived there for one hundred and six years. Your ancestor, Mestral. All this time he had been observing the humans. In his time away from Vulcan, with living with humans, we did not even recognize him as Vulcan anymore. We discovered that he interbred with your species, that a number of his children were the accidental source of Augments that caused the Eugenics War on your planet. He broke the Prime Directive and we punished him by barring him from coming home while living.”_

Jim had heard Frank say that the Vulcans were the reason why Grandpa Jim and his siblings were not welcome on Vulcan as Vulcans. Uncle Frank told Jim and Sam that their family were the bastards at a family reunion. Jim shuddered. _“Uncle Frank was right. We're unwanted bastards.”_

Solkar's katra reached to him. _“No, Jim. I and the High Command were wrong. We made that decision before rediscovering the Katra of Surak, and returning to the path of logic we had drifted from. The first recorded t'hy'la bond in centuries was not two Vulcans of pure blood but a mixture with humans. Mestral saw the potential in humans, he saw reflections of our own people in humans and how much greater humans could be. By coming together, something greater than the sum of us was made. The bond between you and Spock is proof of our people's most sacred tenant: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.”_

Solkar sighed. _“I failed at the time I met him. When I began to see humanity's potential for myself, Mestral was long dead, his katra retrieved by Vulcan Intelligence and interred in his clan's vaults. My life was haunted by that failure, but the revelation of the t'hy'la bond between my heir and Mestral's heir has corrected my failure. I can rest in peace knowing that Mestral can be acknowledged for his foresight and no longer be condemned. Humans and Vulcans can live together as one people and become greater than their sum.”_

Solkar looked one last time at Spock and Jim's bond and turned to them with a Vulcan salute. _“Live long and prosper.”_

Jim and Spock saluted back and watched Solkar's spirit walk away forever. Jim and Spock woke up from the alter they laid on. Solkar's living spirit was transferred successfully into his katric ark by the Kolinahr adepts and interred in the hall with his ancestors. Spock quietly took Jim with him and left this holy chamber in silence.

Jim wiped his eyes and nose with his sleeve. He clung to Spock in this dreary hall of the logical and honored dead. Jim wanted to cry but Spock said that showing emotion in this sacred place was a huge no-no. His small whisper was like a shout in this quiet place, “He's gone, Spock. Your grandpa.”

Spock grieved with Jim and ushered him away from the disapproving monks who took vows of silence. Spock found Jim's fingers, the only skin to skin contact permitted in Vulcan society and only with one's bonded. It was the only comfort he could give to his human bondmate and with the rules of silence here he used their bond to speak words of comfort that Jim needed. _“Only his physical shell is gone. His spirit and all his knowledge is preserved here and always shall be. Upon the New Year, we shall journey to the shrine of our ancestors and meditate and speak with him and all who came before for insight and wisdom.”_

Jim's jaw dropped as he took in the sight of many shelves of little statues in this ancient temple of stone and volcanic rock. They seemed to go on forever and Jim could feel the whispers of dead spirits and living adepts that cared for them. _“You guys talk to ghosts?”_

“ _Affirmative. We can talk to spirits.”_

“ _That sounds scary but awesome. Everyone who said Vulcans were boring are so wrong. Thanks... Sa-kai.”_

Spock raised a brow as they began to make their way outside the temple where the public cremation would take place. Spock straightened out Jim's white robes signifying him as the dead one's vessel. Jim was so small, and Spock felt a jarring sensation as he was reminded of the toddler he picked up. Jim looked at him with those same volkaya blue eyes, Jim who was the baby brother he ordered from the stork.

Jim scrunched his nose and he asked telepathically, _“Spock? Why are you thinking about a stork?”_

Spock resisted the urge to smile, that would be a serious breach at a funeral. _“I will inform you later. Now we must present ourselves with quite dignity and serenity.”_

Jim nodded and joined the funeral outside. He was sad about Solkar being dead but he was with Spock so the happiness often cancelled out any amount of sadness. Jim knew that as long as he had Spock, even death wasn't all that scary.

-

The funeral of such a famous figure like the late Ambassador Solkar was on every holoscreen in the Federation and beyond, especially Earth. Solkar was after all the one who made the legendary First Contact with Earth. With the news that he chose a human boy to carry his katra to his final resting place, it spread like wild fire in the dry season. Jim made headlines for something other than his father for once.

Jim was grateful that the Vulcan News Network didn't use the name Kirk but his adopted family's name. Jim winced every time people called him Kirk and he knew when they did they thought of his famous dead dad and not Jim. S'chn T'gai Jim was better, it meant that he was related to Spock and his nice family. Jim didn't get why the word t'hy'la was translated by the Vulcans as 'adopted brother'. He was certain that translation was way off.

However being on holotv meant Winona found out that her son was on Vulcan and not Earth like she thought. An emergency comm call to her brother, Frank, ended in a screaming match that the whole ship she served on heard. Frank had signed adoption papers giving custody to Spock. It wasn't legal and Winona convinced her captain that a stop on Vulcan to mourn the loss of one of Earth's most well known figures was, well, logical.

Winona showed up at the home of the S'chn T'gai estate in her dress uniform to have a long chat with Sarek about the manipulative and illicit manner his son went about taking Jim far from Earth without her permission and how it was a jailable offense if Spock were legally an adult. Jim sighed and sat outside on the balcony overlooking Vulcan with Spock next to him. The stars were out and Jim couldn't help but look at them with Spock trying to ignore Jim's mother's screaming. “Spock? Do I have to go back to Earth?”

Spock found the idea most unsatisfactory. “Legally, yes.”

“We can run away and be space pirates.”

Spock mulled that idea over more than once. It had merit. “Illogical. I calculated the odds of long term survival to be most unfavorable... Space pirates get shot at.”

Jim sulked as he heard his mother screaming, “This is the third time your son has kidnapped my son! He should be old enough to know better! Jim ain't his to take! He's a serial kidnapper! Spock is a bad influence around my son and I'm this close to getting a restraining order!”

Spock flinched at Winona accusations, and Sarek was equally displeased with her. “My son's logic is sound, and your actions are hypocritical. While you may have birthed young James, you are not his main caretaker. Your brother is.”

“Are you daft? I'm his mother! I'm his legal guardian!”

“You spend an average of thirty-five point six days out of the year on Earth with James. Your brother Frank on the other hand is present for the rest... When he has not gone to unsavory establishments to get intoxicated.”

“My brother ain't perfect, but he's blood. He didn't know he was signing adoption papers and for it to be legal you need _my_ John Hancock, and buddy, you ain't getting it!”

“To take James now would upset him. If it has escaped your notice, my grandfather, the late Ambassador Solkar has died, and he was fond of James. Enough so to make him the Keeper of his Katra, a great honor in our society.”

“You stuck your dead grandfather in my son's head. Yeah. I saw that all on the news. I nearly fused a circuit when I saw my son on tv with your family name. He's a Kirk, not a Suck chin Two Guy!”

Spock and Jim could feel Sarek's veins throb at how badly she butchered his name. Eventually, Amanda, ever the peacemaker stepped in. “Adun, Winona is understandably upset, and Mrs. Kirk, we did just lose an important member of our family and Solkar saw Jim as family. We all do. I know you are off planet frequently, and Frank is not the family type. Jim can really benefit with having a more emotionally stable caretaker and the schools here are the best in the quadrant. Jim having the Vulcan Learning Academy on his records will guarantee a lot of great opportunities he can't get in Iowa.”

Jim almost felt his mother crack, but she was a Kirk and she was as stubborn as Clarence the mule. “No. Family sticks together. No matter what. Our family is already broken and I'm not losing to the last good thing George ever gave me. Jim can stay here for the rest of summer vacation...”

Jim and Spock perked up until they heard Winona's caveat. “But if he's not back by the first day of school, I will get lawyers involved, Ambassador, and you know that this will look like Vulcan still thinks us humans need babysitting and can't even raise our kids right. It might get ugly and a public panic of Vulcans kidnapping other human children might start up.”

Spock tried to contain his sorrow and fear as he knew that Sarek was now deciding between one child versus his duty as the Vulcan Ambassador to keep the peace. Spock knew what he would decide. Sarek reluctantly acquiesced. “I agree to your terms if you agree to mine. If young James is ever neglected in his care, I will take legal measures to remove him from your custody. I can provide to the courts an emotionally stable home with the necessary amenities for his care and education.”

“I can take care of my kid. I work my ass off to make sure of that.”

To Spock's surprise he heard his father, who prided himself on his work and extolled the importance of one's duty, reply to Winona, “One's duties can often conflict with the care that one's son needs. Take caution which you choose. You could even lose your son without knowing until it is too late.”

Winona's hand trembled and formed a fist. The air was tense and all thought for a moment that she would punch Sarek in the face. Instead, she turned around and left. The weeks that followed were the happiest for Jim and Spock, but the shadow of Winona's ultimatum followed them wherever they went.

 

* * *

 

Jim had just turned ten and Spock was sixteen when the proverbial fecal matter hit the fan. It had been seven long painful months since Jim's return to Earth and Winona Kirk's ban on Spock visits. She threatened Sarek that she had enough to file a restraining order after Spock's stunt and they settled in private for supervised visits when she was present and she allowed comm calls. Jim was lucky to be able to see Spock even once a month. It was miserable for both of them.

Spock had been banned from his visits after his attempt to trick Frank into signing over custody. The months since Jim came back from Vulcan had been the worst of his life. As Spock pointed out over the comm, _“Jim, at least we can still communicate through this manner. Eventually your caretakers will make a mistake that will allow my father to take custody of you.”_

Jim sighed. “It still sucks. I miss you.”

“ _I have noted your absence as well.”_

Jim hated that he rarely got to talk to Spock. “I gotta go Spock. My study period is almost over and the teachers only wanting us using the comms for homework or emergencies.”

Spock was about to make logical points of how this is an emergency but closed it seeing Jim's face and feeling the longing hit him. Their gazes locked and they simply stared at one another waiting for the other to end the call. It was interrupted when a girl from his class called out, “Hey Kirk! Get off the comm! You can talk to your Vulcan boyfriend later!”

Jim took one last look at Spock and held the ta'al for him. “Live long and prosper.”

“ _Peace and long life... my t'hy'la.”_

Jim reluctantly shut the comm off, and glared at the girl, Susie from Chemistry. “He's not my boyfriend. He's my best friend and brother.”

Susie rolled her eyes, as did all the other girls and gave him that bullshit expression. “Uh-huh. I don't speak Vulcan but it sounded like, 'Romeo! Oh Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo!' At least it does to us.”

Mabel, another girl smiled and giggle. “It's okay, Jim! You can admit it that you were making out with your hot boyfriend over the comm. He's the dreamy one with the hover bike dressed like a Vulcan version of James Dean, right?”

The girls at the table giggled. “I got a picture of that. That Spock is so tall and hot!”

“Yeah! Jim's so lucky to have such a cute boyfriend to make out with!”

Jim blushed. “Hey! I so wasn't! We we're just talking about Sitar's theories of mathematics... And chess!”

Susie looked at him like he grew a second head. “Whatever you say, just invite him back here. We want to meet him again, the Girl's Club voted him the hottest thing that visited our school.”

Jim got up and left. They had no idea what it was like. Spock couldn't come back because his mom was dumb and crazy. Jim heard all of his mom's screaming of why Spock was actually terrible and no good for him. From identity issues, age gap, how anyone who dresses like James Dean is probably a law breaker, and how Spock actually broke at least twelve laws with the illegal Adoption papers, taking Jim on a dangerous hovercycle, and smuggling him to Vulcan and lots of other dumb rules.

Jim rolled his eyes and reminded his mom that he saw pictures of Dad dressed like James Dean and taking her on his hovercycle. Jim got a lot of “Great job, Dum-dum” from Sam when Mom stormed out crying. For all the reasons his mom listed of why Spock couldn't visit, none of them compared to one fact: Jim missed Spock more than anything.

After school, when Jim made the long trudge from the hoverbus stop to home, he came across a sight that made his stomach feel like he swallow a lead weight. An antique red corvette that belonged to his father had been taken out of the garage. Jim was about to ask why dad's prized antique was outside when he heard shouting between his Uncle Frank and Sam. It wasn't anything new, he and his brother argued with Uncle Frank a lot. What was new, however, was the subject. Jim ducked behind the corvette as he heard Sam shouting, “I don't see why I can't go to a concert with Aurelan! It's not fair! I've got my own money, I've got a license, I don't know why you treat me like shit!”

“That's because you are a little shit! You're dad went and snuffed it and my sister went koo-koo for cocoa puffs when he did! And you know who had to clean up their mess? Me! You aren't even my damn kids and yet I'm fucking stuck with you! Now clean that car! I need the credits.”

Sam crossed his arms. “You mean to pay off the Ferengi bookkeeper you owe latinum to? What about the money Sarek sends for Jim? Don't tell me you skimmed from that to put on the poker table? Even Jim's better at poker than you!”

Frank slapped Sam across the face. “Shut up! If I sell the car, I can put the credits back and that damned pointy eared asshole won't know a thing! While your mother is off-world, this is my house, and you live under my rules! And my new rule is snitches get stitches!”

Sam flipped him off. “Do whatever. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back. I'm sick of you and your rules.”

“Fine! Fuck off then! You're no better than your father! And look where he is now! He's dead!”

A door slammed open and Jim saw Sam walk out with a large backpack. Jim felt fear hammer in his chest. Sam was leaving. “Sam? Where are going? Are you leaving?”

Jim ducked out from behind his hiding place to catch up with Sam. Sam turned back to see Jim silently begging him. He looked at his little brother as if seeing him for the first time. “I can't be Kirk in this house anymore. Ever since Dad died, Frank has pretty much taken his place. I don't have some Vulcan shield like you do. Mom doesn't know what her brother is like without her around, and you don't know what he does to me since the Vulcans made you off-limits.”

Jim sniffed back tears. He did know. Uncle Frank never hit Jim because of what Spock's powerful family would do to him if they found out. That left Sam to be his punching bag. If Sam left, that meant Jim had to fend for himself whenever Spock wasn't around. “Sam, please don't go.”

Sam shook his head. “Mom won't take care of us. You don't know what she was like before. After Dad died, she did too on the inside. She isn't my mother anymore and our uncle is a complete asshole. You have a family you can depend on Jim, I don't. Do yourself a favor and leave.”

And then Sam walked away and out of Jim's life. All he could he do was watch as his brother left him. Eventually Frank turned his anger on Jim and tossed a wash rag and a bucket at him. “Since Sam decided to run off, you get his chores. Clean the car.”

Jim stared helplessly at the bucket and wash rag and started to cry. It was unfair. Jim had to stay here with his shitty uncle because his mom couldn't stand to look at her kids, and she couldn't have the decency to let them go. Jim could be living on Vulcan with Spock and Amanda and Sarek, and the rest of their families. They were all happy and Jim could have that too if his mom could just suck it up and sign those papers so Jim could be happy.

Jim began to wash the car when he saw the keys in the ignition. He looked back and saw that Frank was in the living room watching Andorian ladies ice wrestling. Jim didn't think about it for one second. He hopped in and started the engines. Wind in his hair and the open road before him, he was free. He could go anywhere.

Jim's first thought was to go to San Fransisco where the Vulcan Embassy was. They liked him well enough and Jim would bet credits that they'd give him a shuttle ticket to Vulcan. After all, Sarek said that Jim was a part of his family and he's the ambassador. With that line of logic that meant Jim could leave Earth and live on Vulcan. It was hot and dry, and had no chocolate or chicken sandwiches, but that's where Spock was and that's where Jim wanted to be.

The modern comm system installed in the car lit up and a stream of colorful word flowed from it in the form of Franks grating voice. Jim could hear Franks veins popping as he screamed at Jim, “Jim, you whore hopping, cum sucking little bitch! That is my car! When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna shove my fist so far up your ass you'll be tasting your own shit! You live in my house! And my rules! If you don't turn around right now, you're dead meat! You hear me? I know Orion slavers that'll take you far away so even those pointy eared assholes can't find you! Either I sell the car or your ass!”

Jim turned Frank off and put on music. Beastie Boys seemed appropriate and he screamed into the wind. Vulcan or bust. Jim passed by Sam on the road and for a moment saw his jaw drop. Jim sped up and took off, leaving Sam behind in the dust. A cop started chasing Jim, and eventually caught up to him, and the car went up in smoke as it went careening into the quarry. Jim's short joy ride was over.

Jim waited in a tiny room with a cop for someone to pick him up for three hours, the whole time paralyzed with fear and his mind calling desperately for Spock. His fears only worsened when Frank came and picked him up. Nothing was said as he was escorted, Frank acting like a decent member of society and when they got back to the house, Spock was proven right. Jim's caretaker made a big mistake as he slammed a fist into the side of Jim's face.

When Frank realized what he had done, his anger quickly changed to fear. For the first time he hit Jim and now a large bruise was forming around his eye. His cursing shifted to begging. “Shit! Jimmy! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Stop crying! I'll get you ice cream! How about a toy? You like teddy bears, right? I'll get you whatever you want, don't tell anyone! Don't you dare tell anyone!”

Jim scooted away in fear and ran upstairs and hid in his room. Jim locked the door and barricaded with his dresser, and hid under the bed. Then he scrambled for his PADD only to realize that it was on the other side of the door where Frank was. Jim cried.

-

It did not take long for Spock to become aware of what happened. He happened to be on Earth for his mother's birthday and father came along as well since he had to be on Earth for a vote in Paris on an amendment to a Federation law. After he finished they took extra time to visit Amanda's family in Seattle. It was during meditation that he tried to reach out to Jim when he felt pain blossom on the side of his face. Fear and pain. Spock gasped and cried out from the tidal wave of emotions coming from Jim.

Sarek came into Spock's guest quarters with concern. “My son. I heard your distress.”

Spock tried to regain his composure but he could not fully do so, not when he kept feeling so much fear and pain from his t'hy'la's end of their bond. “Jim is danger. Frank Davis has caused him harm.”

“Have you contacted him?”

Spock nodded. “I have, but whoever messaged back was not Jim. This person used incorrect grammar and used no capitalization nor punctuation in Standard. Jim knows that I greatly dislike that has not used it in years. I believe the individual who messaged me back is Frank Davis attempting to fool me into a false sense of security. My t'hy'la is in pain and is afraid for his life.”

Sarek stood up straighter and his nostrils flared. “We have filed fifty seven complaints on Frank Davis. They have all been ignored. The police will no longer take my complaints seriously.”

Spock felt anger well up. Jim told him the Riverside police had a Code Ambassador Goblin now, which meant to be taken about as seriously as a stuck cat in a tree. They compared Sarek as the child who cried wolf. “Father, there is only one course of action left to us when all legal options have been exhausted.”

Sarek nodded. “Agreed. I believe it is time we initiate the ancient Vulcan tradition of Vazgau-Adun'a.”

Spock raised a brow. “Jim is male. In this case should it not be Husband-Stealing?”

“Young James serves in many ways as your intended wife in this case.”

Spock blushed faintly. “According to the ancient tradition of Vazgau-Adun'a I must take Jim back to my fortress and copulate and claim him in full view of our clan.”

Sarek blushed and shook his head. “Seeing as both of you are too young, or physically able, to mate yet, I think we will skip that part of the tradition. I suggest the both of you simply play chess in place of the traditional public mating.”

Spock's blushed deepened. “I believe Jim and myself would prefer to play chess, father.”

Sarek nodded. “Come, my son, let us depart before your mother notices us.”

“We are not informing Mother?”

Sarek fidgeted. “I... believe it is better in this case to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Spock did not argue. The bond was flaring with fear and pain. His t'hy'la needed him. Sarek escorted Spock downstairs and they were about to leave when Amanda spotted them. Sarek took in her crossed arms and angered expression as trouble. “And where are you two going in the middle of the night?”

Sarek swallowed. “I am participating in a human ritual known as 'Quality Time' with Spock. I believe on many occasions you expressed a desire for me to 'bond' in the human sense with our son.”

Amanda raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “At eleven o'clock at night? Bullshit.”

Spock spoke up and in one of the few times in his life he outright lied to his mother, “It is a surprise, mother. For your birthday.”

Both of Amanda's eyebrows shot up. “A surprise for my birthday? That sounds highly illogical, you both state that birthdays are illogical. What's really going on, husband?”

Sarek paused and then turned and opened the door. “I will inform you upon our return, wife. Forgive us, but time is of the essence. Come Spock.”

Spock was dragged out the door and ran close behind his father to the hovercar. Amanda was shouting at her husband and son. Sarek looked in the rearview mirror to see his angry wife reflected back. After ten minutes on the road to Riverside, Spock stated the obvious. “Mother will be very angry with us.”

Sarek nodded, his dread obvious to a Vulcan. “Affirmative. She may revoke my copulation privileges for an extended period.”

“If we bring back Jim with evidence of the abuse he has suffered, she may turn her anger on Frank Davis instead. Mother is understanding and empathetic, particularly toward children.”

Sarek knew better. “Your mother is unpredictable. I believe we must plan our next step. It would not do for us to fail in our mission of rescuing your t'hy'la. We may need to stop for supplies for extraction.”

Spock nodded. “We must hurry. I still feel Jim's fear and pain. It has not gone away.”

Sarek kept a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and increased speed. Amanda called them seven times and Sarek elected to turn off their communications for the duration of their mission.

It was an hour later that Amanda got a notification on her PADD of a suspicious purchase at an All-U-Can-Replicate store in Nevada. Amanda knew it was Sarek and Spock and whatever they were up to. Amanda's headache and anger at her husband and son increased ten fold when she read the list of what her husband had bought. Two Japanese Ninja costumes, fifty feet of spidersilk rope, a grappling hook, three family sized duffel bags and a crowbar. Amanda made a call to Soren to inform him that Sarek and Spock may need a lawyer, or an undertaker if she ever got a hold on her beloved, infuriating husband.

-

“ _Jim... My t'hy'la... Grant me entrance.”_

Jim woke up sometime in the middle of the night to a mental call through his bond with Spock. Jim had fallen asleep crying, Frank had spent fifteen minutes pounding on his bedroom door and then gave up. Jim hid under the bed when he saw Frank at his window but then he went away. It didn't take Jim long to figure out why. That bastard had nailed Jim's window shut. Jim was now looking out the window in the middle of the night and saw a figure hanging from a rope like Batman... “Is that a ninja?”

Jim rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The ninja had pointy ears. “Spock?”

Spock, who for some reason was dressed like a ninja, tapped on the window. Jim trotted to the window and pressed his hand against the glass. Spock pressed his hand there too, wishing for the thin barrier to be removed from them. Jim felt Spock speak in his mind, _“Jim, I cannot break the glass for fear of waking your uncle. Father is waiting in the hovercar. Gather your most important things while I pry these nails out as quietly as possible. You will never be returning to this domicile.”_

Jim smiled. Spock had come to rescue him! And he was dressed like a ninja! Spock was like some Vulcan version of Batman. Jim had to work hard not to squeal at how cool it was. Spock was so badass. Jim tiptoed and started pulling out his favorite toys, like the model starship from Grandpa Jim, and his precious le-matya pelt. Spock used a crowbar to pry the last nail out and slid the window open with only a whisper of movement. Jim immediately pulled Spock into an embrace as soon as he climbed in, the hug was gladly returned. “Spock, you came!”

“Affirmative.” Spock whispered. He touched the swollen bruises around Jim's face and had to squash the anger and the urge to sneak out of this room and kill the man who did this to his t'hy'la. Spock frowned. “He will pay dearly for this.”

Jim buried his face in Spock's neck. “Please, Spock! Get me out of here!”

Spock nodded, and his anger disappeared. Jim needed to be absconded away to safety first. Revenge could wait. “I will assist you in packing your possessions. Stay quiet and hurry. How deeply does your uncle sleep?”

“I think Uncle Frank is passed out. I saw him out in the yard stumbling around with a bottle of beer and pissing on the big oak tree.”

Spock wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Father is waiting. Hurry.”

Jim packed his favorite stuff with only the occasional remark from Spock of, “We have that on Vulcan.” or “Please only pack things of sentimental value.” Jim saw Spock's expression soften when Jim handed him holopicture of themselves the day they met to throw in the duffel bag. Jim didn't remember, what with only being a baby, but it was special to him because he couldn't remember that day. Jim got the last thing: a box under his bed of some stuff that belonged to his dad, and rescued from Frank's donations to the garbage can. It was things like his dad's Starfleet badge, some pictures, his black leather jacket, and a stuffed blue octopus he bought for Jim when he was still growing inside his mom.

Jim picked up the blue octopus and hugged it to his chest. He named it Spocktopus because it looked just like Spock and Spock clung to Jim like an octopus whenever the fell asleep together. It even had Spock's pointy eyebrows. Jim wondered if George Kirk was psychic or something when he got for Jim. “I can't leave Spoctopus behind.”

Spock, the blue octopus's namesake, had a small smile. “No, we cannot leave Spocktopus behind. Are you ready?”

Jim put on his father's jacket. It was still cold out and it went down past his knees. “I'm ready Spock.”

Spock tied the duffel bags to the rope and slowly lowered them down. He then knelt down and told Jim to climb on his back. As he repelled down with his t'hy'la clinging to his neck, he was glad that his costume covered the majority of his face, because he was blushing fiercely. Spock pulled the rope free and took Jim and possessions to the hovercar hiding on the other side of the cornfield. Jim smiled at Sarek when he hopped in the back. “Hi Sarek! Thanks for getting me.”

Sarek nodded and when Spock had Jim secured in the back, he started the hovercar and got them the hell out of there. He glanced back and frowned when the car's lights shone on the swollen eye and purple bruises Jim had on his face. “You are injured.”

Jim sniffed. “I pissed off Frank, so he hit me.”

Sarek concealed the anger boiling inside of him. “No one should hurt a child, much less one that is kin.”

Jim growled at the memory. “Franks sucks. It wasn't his car to sell, it was my dad's. He went and gambled money from my account to Loog the Ferengi and wanted to get credits for selling my dad's antique car before you noticed. So I stole it and drove it off a cliff and... Mr Sarek, why are you growling?”

Sarek almost broke the steering wheel and chanted a Vulcan mantra to soothe the rage and the urge to kill Frank Davis. “I displayed emotion. I apologize. Please continue.”

Jim notice Spock was breathing heavy and his grip was duranium strong on Jim. Jim was a little worried. “Oookay. As I was saying he called me on the car's comm when I took my dad's car and he was very angry. He said a lot of bad words like he said that I was a cum sucking little bitch and that he was going to shove things up my butt and that he was going to kill me and... Are you guys sure you're okay?”

Something primitive and savage awoke inside the Vulcans in the car. Sarek had to pull over briefly to control his rage at Frank. He reminded himself that he did not have the necessary equipment or planning to conceal Frank's dead body. Sarek breathed slowly and calmly asked, “You said he called on the car's comm?”

“Yeah.”

Sarek's voice was deadly calm. “Give me directions to the crash site. The black box should be intact. Verbal threats of bodily harm against a child is a punishable offense.”

Jim gulped, and reminded himself to never make Sarek angry. He was scary when he was angry. He gave them directions and Sarek landed the vehicle next to the pile of twist steel and broken dreams that Jim crashed. Sarek got the crowbar and a set of emergency repair tools and made quick work finding the car comm's black box. He pried it from the wreckage that was still slightly warm and went back to the car. “Spock, recover the data from this. You can use my PADD. James, I keep a blanket for Amanda under your seat. Rest.”

Jim nodded and curled up next to Spock using his lap as a pillow. Jim felt Spock's rage at Frank and knew that Jim's presence was what was keeping him from falling apart and kept him focused on his work. Jim fell asleep to the warmth of Spock's thighs and his soothing scent relaxing him. Occasionally Jim felt Spock's finger comb his hair and massage his head. It was so relaxing and he was so tired... Jim didn't know how long his eyes were closed. They snapped open when the hovercar shook when Sarek passed through a storm. Jim looked out the window and saw that Riverside was long behind them. They passed a sign saying they were in Washington. Sarek noticed Jim was awake, and asked, “James, are you aware of what is going on?”

Jim shook his head.“Umm, not really. Why are you guys dressed like ninjas? And where are we going?”

Sarek paused before answering. “We are participating in the Vulcan tradition of Vazgau-Adun'a. Spock is stealing you away to live with us, and I am acting as his ni ki'ne, his trusted shield brother. We are deviating from some traditional things, sehlats are not a practical get-away vehicle as they were two thousand years ago and...” Sarek coughed a little. “And Spock will be playing chess with you instead of mating with you.”

Jim was wide awake and gawping like a goldfish out of water. “Umm mating? Like when two grown-ups... do it?”

Spock's ears were as green as lettuce. “The purpose of the Vazgau-Adun'a was originally a way for couples to marry if bride's parents would not agree to the match... We are bending tradition a little... Instead of... consummating a marriage we will be playing chess or a similarly platonic activity. Commander Kirk will not allow you to live with me on Vulcan, so this was a feasible and legal method. It is a part of Vulcan culture and the Federation must honor our laws... So as long as we get to the Vulcan Embassy before the authorities come looking for us, we shall be fine.”

Jim's jaw dropped. Spock and his dad was stealing him away to Vulcan! Jim hugged Spock. “Spock. You are so cool.”

Sarek sighed as he pulled in front of the Grayson homestead and shuddered. “I feel a burning anger... Spock, your mother is awake.”

Amanda came storming out and marched straight toward Sarek. Her parents and sister were standing on the porch looking angry and worried as well. Amanda snarled at her husband, “S'chn T'gai Sa-te'kru Reh-kuh t'ek cha'Skon eh'T'Rama!”

Sarek shivered. Amanda was invoking his full ritual adult name and he knew he was in deep fecal matter. Possibly facing a fate worse than death: divorce. “Do you have any idea how worried I am?! You took Spock off on some kind of robbery or heist or something! What kind of illegal thing did you get our son involved in?!”

Sarek stepped aside so that they had full view of Spock cradling Jim in his arms bridal style. The porch light shone on their faces and the bruise Frank gave Jim was ugly. Amanda gasped. “Oh my god! Jim?! What happened?!”

Amanda's anger toward her husband was gone and she sped toward Jim to get a better look at him. Jim flinched when she touched his bruises. “Uncle Frank hit me.”

Spock tightened his grip on Jim. “We have a recording of their conversation. He made threats of bodily harm and possibly sexual assault as well as threatening to sell him to Orion slavers.”

“Don't just stand around! Get Jim inside!” She whirled around to Sarek. “Husband, enough is enough. We are taking Jim home with us to Vulcan and Winona Kirk can kiss my posterior if she doesn't like it! If that woman won't care for her child, _I will_!”

Sarek breathed a sigh of relief. His wife's anger turned toward another target. Jim slept soundly that night in Spock's arms, and fed a veritable feast from Amanda and her mother in the morning. They decided Jim was too scrawny and needed more food. Especially when Jim told him that Frank forgot to feed him.

-

Spock looked after Jim while his father, and soon to be Jim's as well, conversed with various members of Starfleet and informed them of the delicate situation that he hoped to keep from making the news. Jim's custody battle had the potential to cause a diplomatic incident because his father was a Starfleet hero and Sarek was the Vulcan Ambassador.

Spock got news from his father and the Vulcan investigators Sarek hired to ensure Frank get arrested. With the conversation retrieved from the car comm and the evidence as recorded by Healer T'Val when tending to Jim's injury, Frank was arrested and shipped off to a penal colony. All that was left was for Sarek to gain full custody.

Sarek came sweeping into their shared room with Amanda at his side, and interrupted their chess game. “James, I believe I have a case to gain full custody of you. Your mother is only present as your caretaker for an average of thirty-five days out of the year. For the rest of the three-hundred and thirty, Frank is your caretaker. It is logical to conclude that Frank is your main caretaker and is obviously unfit for that duty. Your mother's absence in your life and the fact that she put Frank in charge speaks volumes of her ability as a caretaker.”

“So when can I live with you guys?” Jim asked.

Amanda knelt beside Jim with a warm smile and hug. “We will find out soon, Jim. Admiral Archer is here to act as judge for this case as discreetly as possible. Because you are here in the Vulcan Embassy under political asylum and your father is a well known hero from Earth, it would cause a diplomatic incident that the Federation wishes to avoid... Vulcan and Earth has had a rocky relationship in the past and we don't want to destroy that.”

Jim looked at Spock. “Can Spock stay beside me?”

Sarek nodded and Amanda's smile widened. “Of course, Jim. Spock, take good care of Jim.”

Spock copied his parents and touched his fingers to Jim's to comfort and protect him. “I will, Mother.”

Jim and Spock followed Sarek and Amanda to a conference room in the Vulcan Embassy. It was like the rest of Vulcan design; logical and practical. There were several Vulcans present, and humans in Starfleet uniform. There was one obscenely old man in a Starfleet uniform and half his chest covered in medals. Jim recognized him from school as the legendary Admiral Johnathan Archer. Jim flinched when he saw his mom come in with her dress uniform. His mom went to hug Jim, but he pulled back. “Jimmy! Baby, I'm so sorry about Frank! I didn't know. Don't worry I'll sort this out and we can go find Sam and put this all behind us.”

Jim hid behind Spock. His mother looked unhinged. Admiral Archer took a seat behind the desk, and looked at Jim. “You must be James Tiberius Kirk, the source of what has the potential to be the biggest diplomatic incident in fifteen years.”

“Damn straight.” Winona said. “He's my son, Vulcan can't take him... Sir.”

Admiral Archer gave her the look he gave to all officers that we're about to get a dressing down. Winona kept quiet, and calmed down after her lawyer pleaded with her to keep quiet. Jim stuck to Spock like Rigellian glitter and sent a wave of calm through their bond. “Am I in trouble, sir?”

The old admiral shook his head. “No. I'm Fleet Admiral Johnathan Archer. I was called in because of my rapport with Vulcan and as a representative of Starfleet that your mother serves. I am to be the judge in this custody battle... I have to say, I had to pull a lot of strings to keep this out of the news. The Kelvin Baby being fought over in custody battle with Vulcan's Ambassador would have been in the headlines.”

Amanda almost cried. “He's just a boy, he shouldn't have his face plastered all over the news like that.” Amanda gave Winona a scathing glance. “He doesn't deserve to have that kind of invasion of his privacy.”

Admiral Archer nodded. “I wholeheartedly agree. To start with, Commander Kirk, you left your two sons in the care of your brother, a Frank Davis, while you were on duty. Surely you knew what kind of man he is?”

Winona nodded. “Frank had some flaws but he was family. I trusted him. I didn't know how badly he treated Sam and Jimmy until I got a call.”

Admiral Archer leveled with her. “Your service record is impeccable but your personal life looks like a scene from Dante's Inferno. I just looked at the Iowa City Police's investigation and had Starfleet officers look into this. We found a disturbing conversation from Frank Davis in black box recovered from the...three hundred year old car?” The old man paused and looked at Jim with astonishment. “Mr Kirk did you take an antique out for a joy ride?”

Jim looked down at his shoes and muttered, “Yeah... I'm sorry I crashed it, but it was my dad's. Frank wanted to sell it to pay off his gambling debt to Loog.”

Winona looked like she wanted to curse. Jim knew that it was because she forbade Frank from the dabo tables. Admiral Archer looked at his PADD. “Yes. We had some of our people interrogate Loog and look into Franks records. Mrs Kirk, did you know that Frank has some serious charges on his record? He has embezzled credits from your son's account, credits from Sarek intended for Mr Kirk's care, not for gambling. Loog has even told us some rather unsavory things that never made it in records.”

Admiral Archer read off the report of Loog and his cronies' interrogation. “Let's read off Frank's secret naughty list, shall we? Assault, Assault with a deadly weapon, and sexual harassment on at least seven different women, and smuggling Romulan Ale and dangerous animals with a guy named Cyrano Jones. Christ, this man should not be wandering around unsupervised much less watching children! Commander Kirk, your oldest son is still missing and possibly a victim of his abuse. If that wasn't enough, listen to the conversation he had with your younger son.”

Admiral Archer pushed a button and Jim heard Frank's voice in the room. The same slew of words that would make a pirate blush graced the room. Jim even saw the Vulcans flinch with disgust. Jim felt Spock pull Jim close to him and growled. “Cease. We have heard enough. Let me take him from here, it is causing Jim distress.”

Winona glared at Spock. “Admiral, Frank is a piece of shit. I see that now, but do you really think Spock will be any better? Spock here has attempted to kidnap my son on three occasions. He even tricked Frank into signing adoption papers with no lawyer present. My grandfather even let Jim get married to Spock, a boy six years his senior, when Jim was only six years old. Married at _six_. There's laws against that!”

Sarek interjected, “It was not a marriage. It was a Koon-ut-la ceremony, a betrothal ceremony to celebrate what is already present. Spock and James share a t'hy'la bond. The strongest and most revered of all bonds among my people.”

“Okay, explain it to me.” The Admiral said. “This tuh high la bond you speak of.”

“T'hy'la. A very rare telepathic bond between two individual that share a hundred percent mental compatibility.” Sarek corrected. “We had not confirmed a t'hy'la pair in centuries. My grandmother, T'Pau often lament not acknowledging and cherishing them as they should be. Keeping them separate is ill-advised. Their telepathic bond reached out over sixteen lightyears to touch one another. This bond is unbreakable, they will perish long before their bond breaks. We have legends of t'hy'la pairs, of them being kept separated from one another. They all end as well as the English play, Romeo and Juliet.”

Winona shook her head. “Spock mind melded with my son when he was nineteen months old. He couldn't give consent back then! He was a baby! A baby!”

“Spock was seven years old.” Amanda interjected. “I told him babies were delivered from the stork like a lot mothers do who don't want to give their kid The Talk yet. Jim's stroller went crashing into a lake because a stork was after Jim's snacks. Spock, with his child logic, assumed that Jim was the baby brother he bribed the zoo stork for several months prior. He melded with Jim because that's what Vulcan family members do. It is how they show intimacy and share emotions they cannot express otherwise. It is how they keep their relationships with their closest loved ones, healthy. Spock was doing what he thought was right.”

“And now he's sixteen! Sixteen! He's almost an adult. Jim is only ten. With the way Spock here obsesses with my son, I worry about the kind of things he may have been doing with him. How do I know that Spock won't force himself on my child?”

Sarek's nostrils flared at the accusation. “My son would never do such a vile thing to his t'hy'la. To harm one's t'hy'la intentionally is our people's most grievous crime, more so than harming your own child.”

Jim had to hand it to his mom, she stood her ground once she made up her mind. “Spock's tricked Frank into signing adoption forms, which followed no legal procedures, showed up to Jim's school on a hovercycle dressed like James Dean and rode off with him, smuggled a minor off-world, and lets not forget the time he got drunk and gave deadly weapons as a present for Jim's seventh birthday! And that's only the things I know about! How do I know Spock hasn't been playing hide the green banana with Jim?”

It was a testament to Sarek's and Spock's emotional controls to not let their anger show. It was thanks to Sarek's years of negotiating with Tellarites that prepared him for the pigheaded stubbornness that was the mother of James T Kirk. Sarek spoke with a calm that belied his anger he felt within. “'Hiding the green banana' as you say would be anatomically impossible for my son since he has yet to reach the final stage of adolescence in my species.”

Eyebrow from most of the humans in the room shot up. “What?” Winona said. “How... I thought that you guys reproduce like us... I mean, you have a human wife, so something must go into...”

It was a testament to Vulcan control that Sarek could explain sex to a non-Vulcan in a formal hearing. “Vulcan males keep their penis retracted in their body inside a genital pouch. It opens for urinary purpose,s but a male will not be able to fully extend his penis outward for mating until his body has finished developing. It is an event in male's life known as the Wuh'rak Abrun, or First Erection. I know this has not happened to Spock because sexually mature Vulcans give off pheromones that we are particularly sensitive to.”

Sarek sniffed the air around his son loudly for good measure. “Spock still smells like a child. In human terms, he is the sexual equivalent of twelve. Do not apply your human standards to him when he is clearly not human.”

Spock's cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Father... Did you have to divulge my personal life in front of all these people?”

“It was necessary. Your reaction of shame to a simple explanation of Vulcan biology proves my point to Commander Kirk. You are still a child, my son.”

Admiral Archer raised a brow at the way Spock held Jim and the way Jim clung tightly to Spock. He saw the way Spock blushed as his father effectively embarrassed him in front of a court hearing, just like any kid would. Admiral Archer took in the youthful features on Spock's face and the green pimples he self-consciously hid under a layer of make-up. Vanity was illogical, but typical of teenagers. Spock was a boy still, even if he had the height and deep voice of an adult male, and Jim was that young first love that Spock was still trying to figure out. The six year age difference was only a number.

Admiral Archer sighed. Never in all his years did he think he'd have to arbitrate a custody battle involving a barely adolescent Vulcan Romeo and his ten year old human Juliet. “James T Kirk, your opinion matters the most in this decision. Who do you want to live with? Your mother or-”

“Spock! I want Spock!”

“No, Jimmy, you're ten, you don't know what you want! Please! I know what's best for you, don't make this more difficult than it has to.” Winona pleaded.

Jim knew exactly what he wanted and it wasn't a mother who was hardly in his life. Admiral Archer's decision was made a hell of a lot easier. “Commander Kirk, I've worked with Vulcans. Hell, I've had the katra of _the_ Surak in my head. I have never seen a Vulcan so attached to a person. If these two share a telepathic bond then James needs supervision from experts with that sort of thing. You aren't on Earth more than a tenth of the time and your brother is a poor choice of babysitter. This Frank Davis is a far worse a caretaker than than a teenage lovesick Vulcan. I trust that pointy eared Romeo to look after little Juliet there more than I do your brother.”

Winona looked down in shame. “I didn't know all that about Frank, I really didn't. After my husband died, I thought Frank cleaned up his act... I wasn't around, I had to work, I had no one else to help me.”

Admiral Archer shook his head. “Yes you did. Ambassador Sarek clearly made himself available. He made no less than fifty-seven complaints about his behavior. He saw this coming, and knew what a bad influence Frank was. Look, you're off-world a lot and as far as I can see, the only change needed is you can take your shore leave on Vulcan instead of Earth. Ambassador Sarek and his wife are the perfect caretakers for your younger son. They can give him a stable home and take him to the best school in the Alpha quadrant.”

“But he'll be separated from his planet, his people, his culture!”

“Objection.” Sarek stated. “My wife is human, my son is half-human. I am Ambassador to Earth. My wife's human family in Seattle have expressed fondness on many occasions for young James. He will not be alone. I should also add that if Commander Kirk's objection to separating James from his culture, it should be noted that she has Vulcan ancestry as does her children. James should be able to explore all of his ancestry.”

“Noted.” Admiral Archer said. “Commander Kirk, do you know what I see? I see a fine officer struggling to do the right thing, with one bad thing after another thrown at her. I also see a child that needs a caretaker, a child that is mostly human with a drop of Vulcan that seems to demand to be explored. I see a diverse and stable family that loves and wants to protect him. I see a human child with a medical record looked over by Vulcans...”

Admiral Archer gestured to an old Vulcan woman wearing a medical uniform. “Healer T'Val here, and my consultant on Vulcan culture, T'Pol, has explained to me the challenges James Kirk is going to face. A biological condition he has inherited from his Vulcan ancestor, and one that could be life threatening if not treated properly. I believe according to Mr Spock, he heard your family calls it the Seven Year Itch?”

Winona furrowed her brows together. “That? It's just a superstition my dad told us growing up to explain hormones.”

The Vulcans in the room looked decidedly uncomfortable by the mere mention of Pon Farr. Admiral Archer shook his head. “No, it's not. It's part of Vulcan biology... They would rather not explain it to outworlders, but I am one of the few outworlders that know of it... The bottom line is, James has needs that Ambassador Sarek and his family are far more equipped to give than you, or anyone else in yours or your late husband's family.”

Admiral Archer sighed and banged his gavel. “I rule custody of James Tiberius Kirk be given to Ambassador Sarek and his wife. Commander Winona Kirk will retain visitation rights.”

Winona started crying. “No, not again! I'm not letting those pointy eared bastards take my George again!”

Winona went to grab Jim and Spock nerve pinched her on the shoulder. She slumped to the floor with a thud. Spock stared at her with a worried expression and then at his father. He paused, attempting to explain what he felt. “Father. Her mind... It is damaged. Admiral Archer, I believe Commander Kirk need psychic evaluation and treatment. I believe she is suffering from a broken marital bond and has gone untreated. Considering the circumstances of her husband's death, it is likely it kept her from forming a proper parental bond with Jim.”

“Could someone explain this to me? Like how this went unnoticed for so long?” Admiral Archer asked.

Sarek stared at Winona as if seeing a completed puzzle. “Commander Kirk and her family have a Vulcan ancestor. This Vulcan crash landed on Earth in 1957, and he lived for centuries and had children with several human wives over the years. It is an oversight on my people's part for denying this Vulcan's children as Vulcan because he broke the Prime Directive and was declared Vulcan no more. Kaaidith. She will need treatment. This broken bond with the late George Kirk would have severely damaged her mind if she went through life without the rigorous mental training Vulcans need to remain stable. She will need help.”

Admiral Archer sighed. “She's a good officer, I regret all this has happened to her. She doesn't deserve this.”

Sarek raised a brow. “Life is not fair. The question is not what is deserved, but what is needed.”

Admiral Archer nodded. “When you're right, you're right. Hopefully now she can get the help she needs. Why she didn't ask for help sooner, I don't know.”

Jim did. “My mom's stubborn, and doesn't like to show weakness. It runs in the family.”

The old admiral gave Jim a wistful smile, “Well, Mr Kirk, I hope you learn something from this. It's good to be able to do things on your own, but don't be too proud to ask for a little help from your friends. Go with your new family.” Admiral Archer gave Sarek the Vulcan salute. “Ambassador, live long and prosper.”

Sarek returned Archer's salute. “Peace and long life, Admiral Archer.”

Sarek turned to his two sons. “Spock, James. We must depart for home. I will call clan mother T'Pau and inform her of the permanent addition to our house.”

Jim wanted to cry with joy and relief. He was finally moving to Vulcan and he was going to live with Spock! Jim felt Spock elation and how he was about to make an emotional scene that was very un-Vulcan, so he settled for a two finger touch. Jim decided what the hell and kissed Spock on the cheek and hugged Spock. Spock looked like his circuits overloaded and had the blue screen of death. Jim was worried for a moment that he broke his favorite Vulcan.

Spock's breathing stuttered and his emotional controls slipped from the overwhelming joy he felt. He could not repress the visible display of his joy. He hugged Jim back in a complete loss of his control and kissed Jim on the cheek, and reveled in the fact that he was finally taking Jim home for good. He _felt_ the Vulcans in the room blush and gasp at the scandalous display of affection. Spock coughed and regained composure. “I apologize. I displayed emotion.”

Sarek looked rather amused judging from the slight quirk of his lips, the Vulcan equivalent of laughing his head off. “It is justified under these circumstances. We will speak no more of it.”

The humans in the room wanted to laugh their asses off and worked hard not to do so until they were clear out of sight of the emotionally stunted Vulcans. Admiral Archer later was seen cracking a rib from the sight of a lovesick Vulcan Romeo showing such human affection and joy for his little Juliet.

Sarek, after they went into their private cabin on the ship leading them home to Vulcan, leveled with his two sons. “James, Spock. We acknowledge and cherish the t'hy'la bond that you share, but one must refrain from such indecent displays while in public on Vulcan. Holding hands and embraces are improper.”

“Holding hands is like making-out to Vulcans.” Amanda translated.

Jim stared at Spock, hardly believing what he was hearing. “You mean all these years I've been making out with Spock?! Spock! Why didn't you say anything?”

Spock turned green from toe to the pointy tips of his ears. “You are human, I am half human... It was logical that conform to some human behaviors.” Spock coughed. “You can... hold my hand when we are not in public.” Spock paused awkwardly. “It is only logical that as a human that you require physical assurances of affection...”

Spock wanted to hold his hand. Was that like making out with him or was it just plain ol' hand holding? Jim didn't know, but he like holding hands with Spock, there was always a fun tingle when they did. So Jim went and grabbed Spock's hand, and from Spock's sharp intake of breath it was like kissing for him. Jim decided hand holding was hand holding if it was with Spock. It wasn't like kisses on the lips like with Ruth or Arial or Wendy from the playground, those were kinda weird. Jim pictured kissing Spock on the lips and felt Spock's pulse race. Jim decided kissing Spock on the lips would be too weird.

Jim and Spock were oblivious to Amanda and Sarek's worried glances or the thought that went through their head. They dreaded the coming of puberty between Spock and Jim, especially now that they would be living under the same roof. Sarek assured Amanda through their own marital bond, _“At least any intimate behavior between them would be permitted in Vulcan society given that they are legally bonded.”_

“ _Adun... Jim is so young.”_

“ _Ashayam... So is Spock.”_

Amanda and Sarek shared a smile. While there was about to be a huge challenge in front of them, they were about to have their home filled with more love and more children. Sybok's absence was noted, and to have two sons again was a joyous prospect. Even though these two sons were still navigating the full meaning and depth of the bond they share.

 

* * *

 

 


	3. Part Three: Lover (Spock)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Human puberty is awkward. Vulcan puberty is hell. Spock finds himself feeling awkward as hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split the third part because it was getting too damn big. Note the rating change and the new tags. In this chapter Spock deals with a sudden onset of pre-pon farr. Please note that there is no underage sex in this chapter but in the next there is. Jim is sixteen and very insistent. Try as I might James T Kirk just couldn't keep his hands off Spock, especially when he is horny and frustrated and Spock is hot. I am mostly done with the last chapter and once I'm done with that I'll take a break from this fic to finish up Souvenir From Vulcan and then maybe work on Jim and Spock in the academy years where Spock is a professor and Jim is a student and everyone gets their relationship wrong. Thank you all for your patience!
> 
>  
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Jasef – Crystal used in preserving katras.
> 
> Katravahsu – Associate.
> 
> Guv-dau Khol-tor – Literal translation is “erotic meditation”
> 
> Tabsheel – Described as a sort of Vulcan cheese and potatos.
> 
> Dena-val – The covetous aspect of love.

 

 

 

 

Part Three:

Lover

(Spock)

 

 

 

The day Spock made his daily journey to the Vulcan Learning Academy with Jim at his side and their fingers locked together in a Vulcan kiss was a glorious one. Sarek had Jim tested and sure enough, Spock's evaluation of his t'hy'la's intelligence was correct. The best school in Iowa could not challenge Jim. Jim was a genius and the Vulcan Learning Academy had more to offer his sharp mind.

Amanda took Jim to get fitted for his new school uniform and Amanda had to stifle a laugh when he compared this situation to him getting his Hogwarts letter and now he was in Diagon Ally getting his school robes. Amanda had to work very hard not to laugh in public knowing that Vulcans wore wizard-like robes. Amanda was as humans say, pleased as pie to have another human besides herself in her home that she could laugh and cry and be human with. “The Vulcans find Harry Potter very illogical, but you're right. You're almost the same age when Harry left a mundane world for another world full of more wonder. Tonight we'll read the first book together, they're one of the great classics of the twenty-first century. Oh! It's so wonderful to not be the only human in the house!”

Sarek made arrangements to put Jim at the level he was logically suited for. He too was pleased by Jim's test scores. His new son's scores were above average, even by Vulcan standards, and Jim was raised in largely human environment. Some of his peers derided him for his fascination with humans and did not want his new “human experiment” to be admitted. Sarek reminded them that more than a few of their groundbreaking scientific research had come from Starfleet reports by non-Vulcan scientists. They shut up when Sarek reminded them why Surak's teachings stressed the importance of infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

T'Pau shut down any attempts at slander toward any member of her family, reminding any dissenters that the human child in question had a confirmed and legitimate t'hy'la bond. There was now a jasef crystal in the temple in their family shrine at Mount Seleya held a psychic imprint of their t'hy'la bond and studied constantly by priests and Vulcan mind healers alike. T'Pau told any skeptics to take their Vulcan posteriors up the mountain themselves. The long held theory that only Vulcans had katra or could form telepathic bonds with other Vulcans was proven false.

Glorious was that day for Spock when he marched to school with Jim at his side with their fingers touching. In this sea of grey robes, black bowl cuts and tapered ears, Jim was like a shi'masu, an oasis. His gold hair and gleaming blue eyes made him shine like the Vulcan sun here, and all who looked upon them knew without a shred of doubt that the beautiful exotic creature known as Jim was bonded to Spock.

Spock barely concealed his pride when he saw Stonn look at Jim with envy. Stonn stared and stared and during mid-day meal he came up to Spock and Jim. His Vulcan placidity was broken briefly with disgust at seeing their connected fingers. Spock did not cease touching Jim, he simply raised a brow at Stonn. “Stonn. I presume you have more insults prepared for me? I must insist you wait until I have finished my meal with my _t'hy'la_. As you can observe we are occupied.”

“I have heard the rumor of Sarek claiming his newest pet is your t'hy'la, however he is human. You cannot have such a bond on the basis that neither of you are Vulcan. Logically he cannot be your t'hy'la.”

Jim put his sandwich down and glared at Stonn. The proverbial gloves came off. “Go stuff it in your pointy ears, Stonn. You can hide behind logic all you like, it doesn't hide the truth and the truth is that you're an asshole.”

“Asshole? What does one part of my anatomy have to do with my argument?”

Spock's lips twitched with amusement. “Asshole is a human vernacular often used to describe a disliked individual. Most likely because the anus became associated with said disliked individual because to see one in public is indecent and produces a foul smelling waste... I see the logic in Jim's statement.”

The crowd of Vulcan students that gathered showed quirked lips of amusement, they were practically laughing their Vulcan heads off. Stonn rebuffed. “Your argument is invalid in that it can be similarly applied to yourselves. Your displays are indecent in public, and Jim produces a foul smelling waste from his skin. I believe he calls it 'Sweat'. Vulcans have far more efficient and less foul smelling ways of cooling ourselves. They should not have admitted such a creature in our academy, its stench is distracting.”

Jim blushed. He couldn't help that he wasn't made for this hot, dry climate. “I can't control my biology, but I sure as hell can control how I treat people. You're just jealous that no one wants to hold hands with you so you treat other people badly.”

Stonn stiffened ever so slightly. “Jealousy is an emotion. Vulcans do not get jealous.”

“Yeah, they do. You have it in spades.” Jim brushed his index and middle fingers against Spock's fingers causing every Vulcan watching to turn green and look away at the scandalous display. Jim grinned. “Well, that doesn't annoy you either. Vulcans don't get annoyed, right?”

Stonn was jealous and annoyed. “Cease this. Your public display of affection is becoming indecent.”

Spock felt Jim's desire to laugh. Jim didn't get just how scandalous his human displays were for Vulcans. Not truly. Jim just knew that there was a button and he knew how to push it. Jim grinned as he kept stroking Spock's fingers, scandalizing the room further when he boldly pressed his palm against Spock's. Spock felt an illogical sense of pride that his peers were for coveting something he had. Stonn's nostrils flared in anger. Jim smiled victoriously. “Alright, Stonn, I'll stop holding hands really hot and hard with Spock in public, if you can win my challenge of Tarul-Etek.”

Stonn looked amused. Spock was too. Stonn had no idea what kind of horrors awaited him. Stonn inclined his head, “Tarul-Etek? I accept your challenge, Jim the Human.”

Their peers listened with interest and Jim set up a Macgyver marathon after classes let out. With the news that a human challenged a Vulcan to a Tarul-Etek, many Vulcan students and a few of the instructors wished to observe. When Jim popped up Macgyver it did not take long for them to scream of how illogical and maddening the human's jury-rigs were. Jim managed to make even the instructors show horror as Macgyver turned candy into a bomb, with a few having traumatic flashbacks of when they worked with human engineers.

Stonn stammered in horror at what he saw. “H-how?! That is not supposed to work!”

T'Pring was equally horrified. “This is a piece of fiction. Surely humans are not so cavalier with their equipment?”

Jim laughed maniacally, and showed a picture of the scariest thing in his old house in Riverside: the replicator. “This is the replicator in my old house on Earth. This is after I fixed it to make it work.”

Uncle Frank never bothered to fix it and Winona spent most of her shore leave fixing it and making jury-rigs. There were even a few of Jim's quick patches. It was the a horrifying maze of pantyhose, bubblegum wrappers, tinfoil and two of Jim's action figures that have been cannibalized and their strewn corpses laid out and wired into the circuitry... All of it was held together with chickenwire and duct tape. The sight of it never failed to make Spock run away in terror. He only offered once to help repair it. He never offered again. Stonn gasped in horror. “That is a replicator?! It should not function!”

Even the instructors were attempting to figure out a logical explanation to how the machine could function as its intended purpose. They didn't believe Jim when he said that it still works. That was when Jim added to the list of things from his old house that he wanted shipped to Vulcan. A month later, Jim came strolling to school with Spock and showed off the replicator from hell.

Jim's engineering instructor took one look at the monstrosity of circuitry and random junk as Jim had it make an edible plomeek soup and said, “James, this machine should not function, and yet it does. For this month's research project, I will give you a one hundred percent satisfaction because even I do not know how your repairs are able to make this replicator function. The physicists and engineers at the Vulcan Science Academy are struggling to see how this replicator is even able to do its job. I only ask that you not repair any of our machines.”

Jim showed off his shiny A+ to Sarek, apparently he was baffled by his unorthodox methods to repairing a replicator. “James, my son... While I am proud of your satisfactory grades... I beg thee, If the house replicator breaks, please do not repair it.”

Spock was long used to Jim's unorthodox, and quite frankly bizarre, approach to the sciences. The two of them had made a game of it that they continued on Vulcan. The game was called Macgyver, and it was to take broken machines and attempt to repair them with random parts instead of using the correct part needed. It was during their mid-morning break when they continued the game on a communicator when T'Pring became curious of their activity. “Greeting Spock, and to your t'hy'la as well... Why are you using broken jewelry to repair a communicator?”

Jim looked up at the pretty Vulcan girl. “Hello. I don't know you. Who are you?”

“This is T'Pring. She is my associate and current research companion on our xenobiology project.”

Jim long ago learned the different words Vulcans had for “friend.” Most often they used Katravahsu, or associate, in the same way Jim would use the English word friend when thinking of some of the friends he had at school in Riverside. If you knew them well enough that you'd trust them with personal secrets or even your life, a human would call them a best friend. Vulcans called them ne ki'ne, or shield brother. T'hy'la as Jim was learning was different. “So you guys been associates long?”

“Since we were we seven years of age.” T'Pring answered. “I learned of you when our parents attempted to betroth us. Naturally we refused the match due to Spock's t'hy'la bond with you.”

That raised Jim attention. T'Pring was like some sort of ex-girlfriend. He looked at her with a new light. She was very pretty, and intelligent from what he heard, and most importantly a full-blooded Vulcan. Spock sensed the surge of jealousy. “We were ill-suited and my mind was bonded to yours. It was only logical that our match be voided.”

T'Pring held her head high. “I do not desire the shame and stigma of being branded a su'lak to a t'hy'la bond. No true Vulcan, or any sane creature would willingly submit themselves to such a humiliating position.”

“Su'lak?” Jim asked.

“The closest approximation in this usage is 'whore' with its negative connotations in how it trivializes a relationship.” Spock answered.

Jim blushed. T'Pring refused Spock because Spock had found his epic best friend with Jim and didn't need or want a girlfriend. Jim was thrilled by this new piece of information. He didn't have to worry about losing his best friend and new brother to some stupid girl, like Sam. No hogging the bathroom or running away to be with a girl who probably had cooties. Jim smiled, feeling much better about this T'Pring girl, she was smart enough not to steal his best friend and brother away. “Hey, T'Pring. You wanna play Macgyver with us?”

A raised eyebrow. “Macgyver, that is the historical human documents, the one that induced feelings of horror in Stonn and a large percentage of our peers. Is it also a game?”

Jim didn't feel like explaining that Macgyver wasn't a documentary. “Yeah. The goal is to make useful items like a communicator with stuff that's just laying around, and not with replicated spare parts.”

“It is an exorcise in creativity and ingenuity.” Spock explained.

T'Pring nodded. “Logical, and a most useful activity. In some emergency situations where necessary things for survival like a replicator or a communicator is crucial, knowing how to build one with limited materials would be most useful. I should like to join you in your game of 'Magyver'.”

So that was how a new game became popular at the Vulcan Learning Academy. Vulcans enjoyed mental challenges and puzzles. 'Magyver' was a game that also had practical uses and therefore playing it was logical. Eventually Stonn joined in. When Jim showed him how to make a cannon with little more than raw materials one could find if they were out walking in the wilderness, Stonn surprised everyone when he complimented Spock. “Your t'hy'la's approach to problems is illogical but produces satisfactory solutions.”

“That is one of his many charms.” Spock responded.

Spock began to believe that Jim could produce miracles, because that was the last time Stonn ever insulted Spock or even antagonized him in any way. For the longest time Spock became worried that Stonn may even try to steal Jim away. Spock noticed more and more Vulcans approaching Jim, both curious and fascinated by him. Spock knew that if it were not for their bond they would be tempted to take Jim for themselves.

The Vulcan Learning Academy was changed by Jim's very presence and Spock noticed that his peers who once shunned him now regarded Spock with envy and almost respect. Jim was a beautiful and exotic creature with a dynamic mind that shone like the sun. His smiles came easy and he was very friendly. It was for the first time that Spock experienced jealousy toward Jim, his own t'hy'la for how easily he charmed those who once shunned Spock.

Spock's jealousy died as quickly as it was born when at the end of the day, it was Spock whom Jim had chosen. It was Spock's bed that Jim crawled into because he still wasn't used to the new home and Jim got nightmares of Frank and Winona taking him away. It was Spock that was the world to this amazing golden creature named Jim. As Spock lifted the blankets the moment he heard the patter of Jim's feet approach his bed, and as Jim curled up next to him, Spock was reminded once more that Jim was his alone. In the dark Spock smiled as he cuddled closer to Jim.

 

* * *

 

Jim was eleven and Spock was seventeen when Jim realized that he wasn't considered an adult by Vulcan standards. Jim knew that Spock took his kahs-wan at the age of seven and was considered an adult. Jim was eleven already, and every Vulcan his age that he knew has passed the kahs-wan already. Jim felt like a laughingstock. It was like he was just the family pet or something. Jim was human, and therefore they had lower expectations of him.

Jim felt a little discouraged when his Vulcan classmates classified him on the same level as the family sehlat. Satek, his classmate in Vulcan history stated plainly, “You are emotional, undisciplined, and have not even passed the kahs-wan we all do between the ages of seven and nine at the latest. You are eleven, and you spent the majority of your life on Earth. Even with your t'hy'la bond, you will never be Vulcan. Only an interesting novelty by most. At least that is the opinion of the majority.”

“I can pass the kahs-wan.”

“Doubtful. Your mostly human anatomy could not survive it. You can live a full life as a human. Now, can we discuss our history research project? I suggest looking at the period of reformation as our logical choice.”

Jim let it go, and yet it itched at him. He was finally getting why Spock felt so lonely on Vulcan. Satek wasn't insulting as Jim quickly learned, few Vulcans are and it was something to get used to. They were just brutally honest and at times Jim found it refreshing because the grown ups never bullshitted you. This time Jim felt a little frustrated that he was not only being treated like a child because of his age, but because he was human.

When woke one morning, Jim disentangled himself from the sheets of his bed, and went to go take a sonic shower when he noticed something different. Jim poked at his chest and squinted. He ran downstairs in excitement at his grand discovery and stumbled into the kitchen to find the family staring at him. Jim puffed up his chest and proclaimed, “On this day, I am now a man.”

Raised eyebrows all around. Spock regarded his t'hy'la curiously. “What marks you different from yesterday?”

Jim pulled his shirt down to show off the single chest hair he found. Spock asked. “Is there something we are supposed to be seeing?”

“I have a chest hair!”

Spock leaned in closer. “I still do not see it.”

Jim groaned. “It's right there!”

Spock looked and saw a single hair slightly darker and longer than the rest of the fine short hairs that covered the human body. “Is that it? I am unsure if that is chest hair.”

“It's chest hair! I've got chest hair now, that means I'm a man.”

Sarek peered up from his computer. “Is the presence of chest hair a human rite of maturity?”

Amanda looked at her adopted son with mirth. “Jim, honey. That's... Pffft! I'm sorry! I shouldn't be laughing but have you see these two with out their shirts? Compared to our Vulcans, you're smooth as a baby's bottom!”

Jim had seen Spock and Sarek without shirts... or pants. Spock more often than Sarek, but enough times to know that Spock took after his dad on the body hair department. They were the reason why the sonic showers got clogged so often with hair. “Well, it's still chest hair, right?”

Spock peered closer, and plucked at it and it came off easily. “Ah. It is not your hair Jim. I believe this is just sehlat fur... Most likely from Arev, Satek's sehlat when they visited us yesterday on to work on your Vulcan ecology experiment. You possess no chest hair.”

Jim slumped at the table. “I'm never going to be a man.”

“Jim. That statement is illogical.” Sarek stated with the patience of a Vulcan long used to humans. “The definition of 'man' is variable and the likelihood that you will not reach any those standards of manhood is incalculably small.”

“Just be patient.” Amanda translated. “Now eat your plomeek soup and get ready for school.”

Jim nodded and ate his breakfast, observing his Vulcan brother and friend and wondered, was Spock a man by Vulcan standards? Jim decided to ask when their parents sent them off to school. When they walked down the lonely desert path to the transport station Jim asked, “Spock? What makes a Vulcan a man? Like, an adult? And are you an adult yet?”

Spock's answer was somewhat startling as he thought on it. “There are several levels on the Vulcan path. The first step is undertaking the Kahs-wan at seven to prove oneself self-sufficient. I have passed this. The next step is the Rite of Tal'oth where I must survive in the desert for four months alone with only a ritual blade where I must prove myself in control of my emotions.”

Jim stopped dead in his tracks. “Four months? By yourself?!”

“Yes Jim. By myself. That is the Vulcan way.”

“But, that would mean I won't be able to see you for _four_ months!”

Spock's expression softened and he caressed the side of Jim's face, brushing his fingers against Jim's psi points in a gesture of the deepest intimacy a Vulcan could express. And he was doing it in the open desert under the Vulcan sun. Jim felt Spock's katra against his own and it felt like two puzzle pieces fitting together. _“Jim... My t'hy'la... Parted from me, never parted. Touching and always touched. I am, and always shall be with you, for our katras are one. I will never be alone, and nor will you.”_

Jim gasped as Spock pulled from the brief meld. Jim remembered that they weren't behind closed doors but out in the open desert of Vulcan where the sky and the red sands witnessed Spock's obscene gesture of emotion, it made Jim grateful that there was no one around watching them mind-melding where anyone could see. “Still Spock... Four months... When do you have to do have do the Tal'oth?”

“When I experience my Wu'rak Abrun. The First Erection. I will undergo the Tal'oth to learn to repress my primitive urges at an acceptable level. It is best done in isolation for that very reason.”

The Wu'rak Abrun. Jim blushed. He knew how it worked for humans, but Jim was learning that Vulcan puberty was scarier than what puberty was for Sam or their cousins on the Kirk side. Jim saw a koon-ut-kal'i'fi in Vulcan archives, and found out that it happened all the time, it was normal for Vulcans. A guy had to marry a girl or die. If she didn't want him, a guy could challenge her betrothed and the winner got to marry her. Those fights were to the death. It was the Vulcan way. “Spock? Is this about the koon-ut-kal'i'fi and Pon Farr? Will you have fight to the death for a girl?”

“I have a t'hy'la bond with you. The koon-ut-kal'i'fi will never be my fight. I will never take a wife nor will one be offered to me, not when I have a t'hy'la available to me.”

“Spock? What does it mean for me? To be your t'hy'la?”

Spock looked at Jim, wondering if he was ready. Spock decided, kaiidith. What is, is. There was no logic in concealing it. “T'hy'la has multiple meanings. Friend, brother, and... lover. The Standard word of 'soulmate' does not quite translate, but it is the closest.”

“I kinda figured, I looked it up, but why is it so special?”

This was why t'hy'la was not a word available to outworlders, at least not its full meaning or context. “I must first explain the Pon Farr. It is a time where we become animals, stripped of our logic and reason. We survived only by taking a mate. To take a mate one must have a telepathic bond, it is how we claim and mark them as mates, and during our Time, we are irresistibly drawn to them. The more compatible the mind, the stronger the bond. It is for this purpose that we evolved telepathy, to find a mate during our most vulnerable time. Do you understand so far Jim?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah. T'Pau told me this when Sarek and Amanda adopted me. It's related to the Seven Year Itch my family gets.”

“Indeed. Most couples have a compatibility of around sixty to seventy percent. Mother and Father have a compatibility of around eight-five, which is unusually high, especially considering they are of different species. Mating bonds can only be severed by a healer and it depends on focusing on the incompatibility, that last fifteen percent in Mother and Father, is the point of separation. That point of separation is also the point of contention that drives our Pon Farr to seek completion and union with another mind. The lower the point of contention the more of yourself you retain when in Pon Farr. Legends hold that when S'Chn went into Pon Farr and was at the height of his Plak Tow, he was able to speak.”

“Really? What did he say?”

“That he did not want to fight T'Gai. They had gone into Pon Farr at the same time and wanted the same woman. She chose T'Gai as her champion, but S'Chn was her betrothed. They fought, and when S'Chn felt T'Gai was close to death he performed a miracle. At the height of his madness he stopped. Without mating with a female, he satisfied his Pon Farr by bonding with his rival. All t'hy'la pairs in Vulcan history are said to be able to retain some logic in their Pon Farr. It why they are so revered. They were evidence that Surak used to preach his ways of peace. T'hy'la pairs were living proof that peace with a rival was possible in a time in our history where we lived in constant violence and war.”

Jim saw their mindscape every night. Their tree was one tree, it wasn't two. “We don't have a separation point. Our mind trees are completely tangled down to the roots.”

“Exactly. With no incompatibility, our bond cannot be severed by anything. The mind healers cannot sever our bond and they suspect that even death cannot separate our katras. You and I dwell in uncharted terrain. We may be spared the worst indignities of Pon Farr because our minds are so strongly rooted to one another. At the height of the madness that is the Plak Tow, we may retain a grain of precious logic. We will be able to call ourselves men and not animals. It is a rare and precious gift we have been given.”

Jim saw Uncle Frank once when he got the seven year itch and Sam described what it was like the last time. Uncle Frank got more irritable than usual and didn't eat much. He went searching for a girl. Any girl. Sam said that Uncle Frank turned into an animal. Didn't speak. Was like a rabid dog or something. Jim shuddered. He didn't want to end up like that. Suddenly Jim understood Vulcans now. “No wonder you guys don't like emotions...”

“Emotional repression is the only way we know of to live without destroying ourselves. Many have tried to find balance but it never ends well. Vulcan emotions are more intense than human ones. Were humans to judge Vulcans in pre-reform time by their standards they might call us bipolar.”

“Yeesh. That really sucks.”

Spock nodded. “Indeed.”

Jim playfully nudged Spock. “I'm glad we have a t'hy'la bond then. We can keep each other sane.”

Spock allowed a smile to appear on his normally blank face. “I am glad to have you as my t'hy'la as well.”

Three days later, Jim got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and gasped at his discovery. He pulled on the new hair that appeared as if by magic on his body, to make sure it wasn't stray sehlat fur. He ran into Spock's room and pounced on his bed. Spock startled and looked at Jim owlishly. “Jim? What's going on?”

“I got my first pube!”

“Your pube?”

Jim pulled down his pajamas a little and pointed to the one dark blond hair on his groin. Jim was so proud. “See! And it's not sehlat fur either!”

Spock blinked. “I see. You appear proud of this.”

Jim puffed up his chest and vibrated with excitement. “I'm a man now!”

“Whatever you say, Jim. Now get some rest. We have school tomorrow.”

Jim giggled and crawled in next to Spock as they often do. When they found a comfortable position Jim whispered, “This is better than chest hair.”

Spock chuckled. It escaped his throat before he could suppress it. His t'hy'la was so illogical at times. Jim did not know now what being a man meant, not until years later. Spock and Jim went to sleep, and let their mindscapes tangle and merge and together they dreamed.

 

* * *

 

The day Jim turned twelve was a memorable one, at least for Jim. Vulcans did not celebrate birthdays, finding it illogical to celebrate with so much triviality for something as mundane as the day of one's own birth. Usually they celebrated their birthday with quiet meditation and reflection, like almost every other holiday on Vulcan. Jim had learned that Vulcans while quiet and meditative on the surface, they were not so beneath. Jim also learned what a happily married couple was like when they were alone. It was always a vague idea in the back of his head but then he saw it for all its naked mentally scarring glory.

Jim woke up in the middle of the night, noticing that it was midnight and that meant it was his birthday. He couldn't sleep. Amanda told Jim that he needed to sleep in his own bed more often, but Jim had trouble sleeping without his Vulcan heater and pillow, aka: Spock. While Vulcan was searing hot during the day, it was pretty cold at night. Jim decided to do what he usually does and went to Spock's room to sleep with him. Spock never kicked Jim out, and he knew that Spock secretly liked cuddling Jim, despite the whole Vulcans-Have-No-Emotions act he tries to keep up.

Jim was tip-toeing quietly down the hall so he didn't wake Sarek. Amanda slept like a rock but Sarek had super Vulcan hearing. He had gone to get himself a glass of water before sneaking into Spock's room. Jim paused before reaching Spock's door. He heard strange sounds coming from Amanda and Sarek's bedroom. Jim heard Amanda's high pitched giggling and squeals of, “Sarek!”

Curious Jim padded closer. He then heard a deep, smooth voice. It was Sarek. “You are so delightfully responsive, Ashayam. I love the sounds you make.”

“You _love_ hearing me? Sarek you naughty Vulcan! What will they say if they find you doing something so _emotional_?”

Sarek chuckled, it was full and melodic. “Ha! They will say that you are my wife! They will say that Amanda Grayson is gifted at eliciting many emotions out me.”

More rustling noises and a series of wet sounds. Amanda gasped. “Sarek! Oh god, I'm not the only gifted one here! Oh Sarek! Don't stop! Please!”

Jim was shocked. Sarek was laughing! Jim wondered what they were doing in their bedroom. He narrowed it down to either a tickle fight or sex. Jim recalled the few times Uncle Frank brought a date home, and Sam always snuck out with Aurelien somewhere, he wasn't dumb enough to bring a girl home. From what he heard growing up around Uncle Frank, sex didn't make girls giggle or laugh like that.

Jim decided that Amanda and Sarek were having a tickle fight because it sounded way too fun to be sex. So he decided it was safe to come in and ask them about going to a museum for his birthday and... Oh god it was so not safe! Jim froze at the sight of Sarek completely naked with his head between Amanda's thighs. Amanda's head was thrown back with her mouth hung open in a silent scream while her breasts bounced as she writhed on the bedsheets. Sarek slid up gracefully like a cat to meet her lips in fiery kiss and thrust his hips forward into her. Amanda clamped her legs around his waist and clawed at his back as his thrusts quickened at a relentless pace. “Sarek! Oh, yes! Just like that! Keep going! Yes! I'm so close! I'm-” Amanda's eyes snapped open and she stared in horror at the sight. “Jim?!”

Sarek pulled out and turned around, and saw his other son staring at them with wide eyes. Jim's eyes glanced downward as he got an eyeful of what a fully grown Vulcan man looked like at the height of passion. Sarek scrambled to cover himself and Amanda. Sarek said with what little dignity he had left to his name, “Jim. Why are you awake at this hour?”

“I uh... I'm sorry! I thought you guys were having some kind of tickle fight! Amanda was giggling and sounded like she was having fun so I didn't think it was you guys... having sex.”

Amanda's eyebrows did a good impression of a Vulcan. “Jim...” She started gently. “Why would you think if I was having fun that I couldn't be having sex?”

Jim fidgeted and stared down at his feet. “I dunno... I guess because Uncle Frank's girlfriends didn't seem to have a lot of fun with him.”

Sarek growled under his breath, “That tvi'okh...”

Amanda swatted her husband. “Language! I think Jim's picked up enough bad habits, don't you think?”

Sarek nodded. “You are right, Ashayam. Let us correct his terrible view on what coupling is.” Sarek turned to Jim and patted the foot of the bed. “Sit and listen, my son.”

Jim crawled onto the foot of the bed, grateful that they were covered up with a few layers of blankets for modesty. It didn't make the following talk any less weird. Sarek took a deep breath. “Jim. Coupling when done correctly should incite pleasure for all consenting parties involved. In a healthy marriage, such as the one I share with my wife, regular and pleasurable coupling is a most efficient way of exercise one's marital bonds. For Vulcans it is a form of physical meditation to keep us mentally healthy. Emotions we normally repress can be purged in a safe and socially acceptable manner in private with your bondmate.”

Amanda nodded. “Vulcans call it Guv-dau Khol-tor, or erotic meditation. It is how married couples manage their emotions. Sarek couples with me as a form of healthy purging of his emotions that he can do with no one else because I am his wife. I do it for the fun, and the intense intimacy it creates. There is no better feeling than to couple, or make love as we humans say, with one's bondmate.”

“You must understand, Jim.” Sarek began. “In Vulcan society it is grossly offensive to display emotions.”

“I know that.” Jim said.

Sarek nodded. “Then you must also know that private meditation with a bondmate, or Guv-dau Khol-tor is the only acceptable place to display emotions. With a Vulcan mate who can display no emotions in public, to purge those emotions with the assistance of a bondmate is the greatest form of intimacy.”

Sarek's eyes flicked elsewhere behind Jim. “If your bondmate is not enjoying himself then something is wrong and the problem must be corrected first before the coupling can continue. Do you understand?”

Jim nodded, wanting to hide his beet red face. “I think so...”

Sarek nodded. “Good Jim. Now go back to bed. Spock is waiting and you worried him.”

Jim turned around to see Spock standing outside his parents bedroom looking away from his parents with his face flush green. “Jim. I sensed your distress and awoke...” Spock's ears were burning green. “I see the source of your distress is merely from... witnessing Mother and Father... engaging in physical meditation.”

Jim darted out of there with his beet red face. He eagerly crawled into Spock's bed and felt the mattress dip when Spock got in as usual. Usually they cuddled but this time it felt different. Jim realized that someday Spock might look like Sarek. _Down there_. An image of Spock kissing him on the lips as fiercely as Sarek did with Amanda made his heart race faster and a strange heat pool in the pit of his stomach.

It was weird to see Sarek and Amanda kissing, but kissing Spock didn't feel too weird. Well it was weird, but different. Like the same feeling Jim got riding his father's antique red car. It was thrilling and heart pounding just thinking about kissing Spock. Jim swallowed as he realized that he wanted to kiss Spock. Jim shook his head of the thought and nudged Spock. “What way to start off being twelve, eh Spock?”

Spock put an arm around Jim and spooned up to him. “Cease thinking and rest. Your thoughts are too loud.”

That strange heat came back when Jim felt Spock's hot breath against his neck. Spock always cuddled with him and it never felt like this. Spock's eyes opened. “Jim. Do I have to nerve pinch you?”

Jim suddenly wished he had paid more attention to his meditation lessons. Jim swallowed, and got out of bed. Spock sat up and stared. “Jim? What is wrong?”

Jim shook his head. “N-nothing. I umm...”

Spock narrowed his eyes. “You are lying. I can tell. Is because you witnessed Mother and Father coupling?”

“I don't know... Maybe?”

“Do you not want to sleep with me?”

Jim looked down. “Maybe not tonight.”

Jim felt ashamed when he saw hurt in Spock's eyes. “I understand the need for privacy. Tomorrow night?”

Jim nodded and gave Spock a Vulcan kiss with his fingertips. “Yeah. Tomorrow night.”

Spock nodded and Jim darted out of Spock's bedroom. That night he was plagued with strange dreams of kissing Spock and weird feelings of heat pooling between his legs.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, breakfast had a weird vibe. When Jim saw Sarek reading the news he saw in his mind the man naked and humping Amanda. When Jim saw Amanda smiling and making them breakfast, he couldn't help but see her in his mind's eye giggling and smiling while Sarek was thrusting into her. Spock brought Jim from his thoughts when he connected their fingers and Jim felt his voice in his mind. _“It is a rather shocking to witness.”_

“ _Yeah, no kidding Spock! That was so embarrassing! Last night I had weird dreams!”_

That last part slipped out of Jim's mind and was accompanied with images of said dreams. Jim saw Spock tense and freeze. Then Spock pulled away and Jim felt something like a door slamming shut in his mind. The room got tense. Sarek suddenly stood and announced, “Since today is the anniversary of Jim's birth, we will celebrate the occasion by making a journey to Kir City. It will be an exception to our usual routine of Amanda baking a cake on the birthdays of the members of this house.”

“For what purpose, Father?” Spock asked

Sarek looked at Amanda who hid her smile poorly. Sarek said with a straight face, “It is to be a surprise for Jim.”

Jim was excited, he always wanted to check out the M'daran Library that was there. He wondered if that was the surprise. When they got to Kir City they went past the galaxy famous library and to Jim's surprise they went to a Sehlat farm instead. They exited the vehicle and Jim saw Sarek speaking to the owner and then escorted them around back were there was a mother Sehlat with a litter of five cubs. Sarek turned to Jim and stated, “Observe and interact carefully with these cubs. Select the one who is most compatible as a companion.”

Amanda smiled at her foster son. “Happy birthday, Jim.”

Spock raised a brow. “Is Jim getting a sehlat?”

“Affirmative. He desired one, and after meditating on the decision and hearing your input on Jim's progress, I logically concluded that the responsibility will be beneficial to him... With your guidance and experience in caring for sehlats of course.”

Spock repressed his unease at the memory of I-Chaya's death. He did not want a replacement, but after seeing the sehlat cubs, Spock could not help but find them endearing. “Jim had stated his desire to care for animals. He had lived on a farm and notes the absence of his duties of caring for a creature. A sehlat would be most beneficial. It is a logical decision.”

Jim had to work hard not to explode with joy and cause another scandal. However he was human and twelve now. As the Vulcans say, the cause was sufficient. Jim surprised Sarek by hugging him. “Thank you so much sa-mekh- I mean Sarek.”

Jim jumped back at his slip up. “Sorry, I hear Spock call you that so often that it... sort of came out.”

Sarek concealed his surprise quickly and his eyes flickered with warmth and a smile. “There is no need to apologize. You are my son's t'hy'la, you and he share the same katra together. Since Amanda and I have legal guardianship over you and you share a t'hy'la bond with our son, referring us as 'Sa-mekh' and 'Ko-mekh' is only logical. Now go inspect the sehlat cubs.”

Jim smiled briefly before covering it up in front of the Vulcan sehlat breeder who was looking scandalized by Jim's human emotionalism. Jim grabbed Spock's hand and entwined their first two fingers out of habit. Jim felt a momentary spark between their connected fingertips that made his heart race. “Come on, Spock. Help me pick one out.”

Jim felt Spock's pulse and a twitch of surprise and delight, and then contentment from joining their fingers together in the only public physical skin-to-skin contact that was acceptable. Spock tried to conceal any displays of pleasure and joy he got from getting Vulcan kisses from Jim. Spock surmised from the look on the others that he was not successful.

Jim had looked at all the cubs, who were all fluffy and cuter than anything. The one that Jim felt a calling to was the one that got stuck head first in a hole in the ground. His little butt was sticking in the air and his leg kicked as he struggled to free himself. He reminded Jim of Winnie The Pooh. Jim pulled the cub free and saw that he was covered in red sand and had a dopey smile. He looked just like a fat teddy bear. The cub licked Jim. “Bwooo!”

Jim picked up the large cub and proclaimed. “I want this one.”

The Vulcans raised a brow. Spock asked his t'hy'la, “That one? Are you certain?”

“Yup! His name is Pooh-Bear. How would you like to come home with us, Pooh-Bear?”

Amanda giggled to the embarrassment of her Vulcans. “He's perfect. Right, husband?”

Sarek sighed. “I-Chaya was frequently stuck in holes as a cub as well. He is acceptable.”

That was how Sarek's household got its second sehlat. Jim never met I-Chaya, but from what he heard, he was well-loved. With the new sehlat cub, it distracted Jim from the weirdness going on between him and Spock. Jim forgot all about the weird dreams of kissing Spock and the weird tingling heat he got when Spock cuddled with him at night. It was all about the adorable fuzzy teddy bear that was going to be one of his best friends.

Spock did not get another sehlat after I-Chaya's demise because he had no wish to replace his old friend, but after seeing the sehlat cub trot playfully around the house after Jim, he warmed to the idea. The new cub distracted Jim from whatever was bothering him and they ran around chasing and wrestling each other. Spock saw his parents look relieved.

Amanda looked at her husband with a wink and said, “Now Jim, sehlats need frequent exercise so you will need to take Pooh-Bear for walks everyday. Spock must go with you since the desert is dangerous.”

Spock raised a brow, but considering how they lost their first sehlat, it was a logical caution to take, but Spock wondered if his parents had other motivations. Sarek's words confirmed Spock's suspicions with the underlaying eagerness in his voice. “Thirty minute walks at the very least.”

Amanda elbowed her husband, and winked at him. “No, they will need to take him out for at least an hour. Right, husband?”

Sarek cheeks had a faint dusting of green. “Yes. An hour. Both you and Spock must take Pooh-Bear for a walk every day for at least an hour.”

“Okay! Come on Pooh-Bear! Let me show you the backyard!”

When Jim took his new sehlat cub into the backyard, Spock confronted his parents. “Mother. Father. Did you get Jim a sehlat cub so you can engage in coupling without interruption?”

Sarek raised a brow. “I thought that Vulcan parenting tactic to be common knowledge. It was for that reason my parents gifted me and my brother with I-Chaya. A sehlat cub is an excellent way to receive solitude from one's offspring.”

“I thought Vulcan procured sehlats for children to teach them responsibility?”

Amanda giggled. “That's one reason. The main one is so the parents can have some time to themselves away from their kids.”

Sarek's eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at his wife. “Sehlats are as you humans say, the gift that keeps on giving. I believe now would be an excellent time to... engage in meditation.”

Spock knew that Sarek meant meditation of the erotic variety. Amanda giggled and glanced at her son. “Spock, I think now would be a great time to take Jim and Pooh-Bear on a walk. For an hour.”

Spock blushed and hurried out of the house. He felt his Vulcan hearing to be a disadvantage at times, such as this moment he heard his father pick up Mother and carry her off to their bedroom like some pre-reform warrior claiming his prize. Spock decided that leaving well out of earshot of his parents was the best option.

Spock saw Jim playing in the garden with the new sehlat and Spock felt an urge to join in. He resisted and simply observed. Jim smiled at Spock. “Isn't he the cutest? He's like a teddy bear! I love him already.”

Spock felt a brief twinge of jealousy and then realized that taking Pooh-Bear and Jim for a walk meant that they too would have privacy. The desert was quite isolated and he and Jim could even... Spock felt his heart race as the thought came to him. They could even hold hands. Not just finger kisses but palm to palm with fingers enlacing and entwining... Perhaps even hugs! Spock swallowed. Since they arrived on Vulcan he was discouraged from engaging in el'ru'esta since Spock was coming close to approaching the first stage in sexual maturity and such things was considered inappropriate for a Vulcan, but not for a human. “Jim?”

“Yeah Spock?”

“Let us take Pooh-Bear for a walk.”

“That sounds great! Let's go!”

Spock settled at Jim's side as always. Spock's heart raced when he felt Jim grab his hand and their bond lit up at the skin contact. Jim smiled up at him. “You don't mind, right? I mean, since there's no one to see us holding hands... And I know it's like super scandalous on Vulcan but I figured I'm human and—”

“Yes.” Spock said without hesitation.

Jim blushed. “Awesome. I really like holding hands with you. Its nice, and it tingles.”

Spock breath shuttered and hitched. “I find holding your hand to be most pleasing as well.”

With the skin contact, Spock felt Jim's thoughts and he wondered if Jim knew that Spock could hear them. Spock got another image from Jim. It was a strong desire to kiss him on the lips. _“Oh my god, I've got a crush on Spock!”_

Spock was certain that Jim didn't know when he asked what it meant to 'crush' someone nor why human lip kissing would be associated with crushing things. Surly Jim knew that he was not strong enough to crush Spock's denser Vulcan bones right? “Jim. You are not crushing me. My bones are intact.”

“Wait. What? Did you hear me?”

“Yes. You were thinking very loudly... And I think you desired to give me a human kiss.”

Jim swallowed. “I umm. A crush isn't like that... It's a human expression. Like um when you...” Jim gulped and was radiating embarrassment to a degree that outshone the sun. “You know, like someone? Like umm...” Jim blushed as the memory of last night's discovery that Spock's parents did indeed have sex. “Like Amanda and Sarek like each other.”

Spock raised a brow. “Ah. I understand. There is no need to be embarrassed. Your emotions are natural.”

Jim looked at their joined hands. “Um, I'm sorry. I'm just being weird. Can you pretend that you didn't hear that I'm crushing on you?”

Spock blinked. “I did hear it though.”

Jim pulled away and became unable to look Spock in the eye. “I'm sorry!”

Spock did not want Jim to let go, nor did he want Jim to be so distressed. “Jim. I apologize for harming you. Please do not recoil from me.”

“Don't you think its weird that I like-like you?”

“No. We are t'hy'la. It is only logical that we 'like-like' one another. It would be far stranger if we did not.”

“It's okay? I mean, t'hy'la means like friend and brother. Crushing on your best friend and brother is weird on Earth.”

“We are not on Earth, and you forgot about t'hy'la's third meaning: lover.”

Jim blushed. He did forget. “So what does that mean about us? You said you won't be getting married. Like ever, because you have this t'hy'la bond...”

Spock fidgeted. He was unsure how to explain this. It lurked in the back of his mind for years. “I am unsure. We are the first recorded t'hy'la pair in centuries. We are in uncharted territory.”

Jim's face scrunched, and he hugged Pooh-Bear for comfort. “Will we... You know... _have sex_?”

Spock turned vivid green and looked so visibly flustered. “I do not know. Do you...” Spock swallowed thickly and tried again. “Do you find the concept repulsive?”

Jim looked down and drew patterns in the sehlat cub's fur. “I don't know...”

Spock withered. His voice was small and broken. “If you do not wish to be mated to me... I will release you from your marriage to me.”

Jim snapped up. “What what?! What marriage?! When did we get married?”

Spock raised a brow. “When you were six and I was twelve. We had a koon-ut-la ceremony performed. It was the only method available to protect you since your mother refused to relinquish you to us sooner so that we could live together as t'hy'la.”

Jim was floored by what he learned. “Wait. That koon-ut-la ceremony. That wasn't an adoption? It really was a marriage? So I could be protected by your family from Uncle Frank and Winona?”

“Yes. It was in a way. In truth it is better compared to a betrothal ceremony.”

Jim's jaw dropped. “So we're betrothed?”

“Affirmative. We are married, but it is not yet consummated.” Spock corrected.

Jim just found out last night that he was crushing on Spock and now he was finding out that they've been engaged for six years already. Jim staggered in his steps, ignoring even Pooh-Bear licking his ear. “Holy shit.”

“You are just finding this out now?”

Jim shoved Spock but it was without malice. “Shut up.”

Spock became quite worried by his reaction. Surly Jim wanted to be married to him, right? Spock felt panic rise in him. Jim was his t'hy'la. If Jim did not want him then what was left for Spock? Jim was crucial to his existence. He did not know how to live without Jim, before knowing of Jim, Spock was lonely. Since meeting Jim, Spock did not feel lonely. Spock felt Jim's shock by this revelation of their relationship and grew even more concerned. “Jim? Do you not want to be married to me?”

Jim snapped up at Spock and saw Spock's warm eyes glint with moisture. It was the closest he had ever seen him cry. Jim could feel the devastation and utter despair and it was like a punch to the gut. “Spock... No! I mean I do! I mean... I don't know. I just know that I like you. I don't know how to be married!”

Jim saw Spock relax. “So you do not wish to divorce me and leave me forever?”

“What?! Hell no, Spock! Why would you think that?!”

Spock looked away in shame. “I am not very desirable as a mate. I am a half-breed, and my features are not particularly exotic or alluring as yours. It was only logical to conclude that... perhaps someday you would be drawn to find others to mate with.”

Jim pulled Spock closer with both hands and squished Spock's cheeks together. Jim looked Spock straight in the eye with righteous fury. “Don't ever talk like that! I wonder the same thing about me! I'm just some run of the mill human boy! I can't breath right in this world without a tri-ox shot all the time, I'm emotional and illogical and loud and annoying! Vulcans only put up with me because I've got some unbreakable telepathic bond with you! I wonder if it weren't for that, that they would boot me off this planet in an Alpha Centauri Minute! I don't even have the top scores in my class! I work my butt off to get Acceptables because I keep screwing up in the Skill Domes! My mind wanders a lot... I can't focus like a Vulcan can and I stick out so much and I'm treated like some side-show attraction. They all look at me like I'm a freak!”

Jim felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. Spock pulled Jim into his chest and enveloped him. “You are exceptional Jim. An ordinary human could not do as well as you have. You have been uprooted from your planet and thrown into an unforgiving and harsh one. You have not been on Vulcan for a year and you are doing far better than anyone would expect of a Vulcan much less than a human. They stare because you are beautiful and dynamic.”

Jim hugged Spock desperately right there under the Vulcan sky and on the red sands. Jim knew he was getting snot and tears on Spock. “I wonder why you put up with me...”

Spock nuzzled Jim's hair. “Because you are the baby brother I desired and purchased.”

When Jim looked at him, Spock answered, “When I was seven I bribed the San Fransisco Zoo stork for a baby brother with a bag of Galaxy Yum-Yums. Approximately seven months later a stroller came crashing into me with a stork on top. You were inside. I assumed you were the baby I ordered and logically took you.”

Jim asked slowly, “You bought me from a bird with bag of chips?”

“Affirmative.”

“So I was worth a bag of chips?”

“That was the agreed amount. To one zoo stork you were worth one bag of potato-based snacks.”

Jim then suddenly burst out laughing. “Spock! You know where babies come from, right? It ain't from birds. I mean, last night I think we saw how babies were made.”

Spock blushed. “Yes, I know that. At the time I was unsure how the alien anatomy of humans work... And mother said that was where babies came from when asked. I was corrected.”

“Okay, I was making sure.”

Spock smiled with his eyes. “I am glad you put up with me.”

“Well, you were my birthday wish. I wished that my imaginary friend was real, and now you're real.”

Spock felt greatly relieved. “You would not mind being married to me?”

Jim shook his head. “No. But can you ask me properly like in the movies when one person goes on one knee?”

Spock nodded, and knelt on one knee. Jim stood up and brushed sand off his butt. Spock took Jim's hand and he felt his heart race in his side. “James Tiberius Kirk... or S'chn T'gai Jim as you are now legally named, you are my t'hy'la, and the keeper of half of my heart and soul. I would like to inquire if you are willing to become my mate for life. Preferably when we are both grown?”

Jim beamed. “Yes, I'll marry you!”

Spock smiled brightly and pulled Jim into a hug. It reached his eyes and his white teeth glinted in the setting sun of Vulcan. It was the most beautiful thing Jim had ever seen in his life. Spock was breathtaking. Jim was leaning forward. Spock's hands gripped his shoulders tightly. Their lips drew closer and closer. It was a chaste pressing of lips but it lit a fire in their minds. It was their first kiss.

Spock short circuited and stared off into space. His first human kiss. It was nothing compared to the finger kisses he'd been stealing over the years. He stood up in a euphoric daze. Just when he recovered Jim grabbed his hand and pressed their palms together. Spock gasped, “Jim... You know how intimate such a gesture is here on Vulcan?”

Jim blushed. “I know that! I uh, just wondered since we're engaged an all if we can hold hands and stuff. That's allowed right?”

Spock looked around. It was only the two of them and a sehlat cub in the wide open desert. And perhaps a few c'hik that Pooh-Bear was chasing back into their holes. There was no one of note to witness Spock indiscretion. Spock nodded. “As long as no one sees us.”

Jim grinned. “Good. 'Cus I really wanna hold your hand... And maybe we can kiss some more?”

Spock nodded blankly. He took Jim hand, unable to keep his from trembling. He felt the euphoric tingle shoot sparks down his spine and straight into the pleasure centers of his brain. Jim blushed hard. “That... Feels nice. We're not supposed to be doing this, are we?”

Spock's breath hitched. “Negative. This is so very not allowed... but I do not wish to cease holding hands with you.”

“Me neither... And I'm pretty sure a few guy and girls in my class hold hands with their betrothed... Hey are we dating now?”

Spock paused. Jim was no where near ready for marriage, and neither was Spock, but... Courting. That was an appealing concept and had merit. “You wish for me to court you?”

Jim nodded. “Sam was crushing on Aurelian when he was my age and I'm pretty sure they're married now. He ran off to elope with her when he ran away. I'm not sure how humans court each other, or at least not the best examples, but since we're on Vulcan, you want to do it the Vulcan way?”

That sounded more than acceptable to Spock. Dumbfounded, he nodded. Jim squeezed lightly on Spock's hand. Spock stiffened and tried to control the pleasure it was causing. “This is quite detrimental to my emotional controls.”

Jim laughed. “Sorry, but this is really fun.”

“Indeed... Jim?”

“Yeah?”

“It is getting dark. We must return home before the le-matya come out to hunt.”

“Okay.”

They walked back home, their hands still firmly grasped. When the house was in sight, they reluctantly let go. Holding hands was still forbidden, but it did not stop them. It became a habit for them. At night Jim snuck into Spock's bed and fell asleep with their palms firmly pressed against each other. They were almost discovered when Jim kissed the back of Spock's hand and Spock screamed Jim's name. It was an antiquated gesture in human culture as a formal greeting but for Spock, it went well into the obscene.

 

* * *

 

It was one year, two months, thirteen days, seven hours, and twenty-three seconds since the moment Spock shared his first human kiss with Jim upon their mutual promise to wed. Each moment since then Spock was content and felt complete. Even if at times he felt a varying degree of emotion toward Jim, it was mostly content because Jim was the other half of his katra and without him he was incomplete.

They snuck many similar chaste kisses since their first one. Spock was not so sure he liked the exchange of saliva often witnessed so Jim did not try after that first time he slipped his tongue in. They held hands often, and caressed each others fingers in a far more intimate ohz'esta. When they felt the urge to embolden their finger touches, they became talented at finding secluded places to engage in passionate hand holding. It was thrilling and euphoric, and Spock coveted those moments. Spock was certain that Jim felt the same.

It was on this day, little over a year from their first kiss, that Spock realized that he had a problem. It was a problem that Winona Kirk saw coming which made it all the more humiliating. Jim was thirteen, and Spock was nineteen when he realized that he was fast approaching the next stage in a Vulcan male's path to adulthood and it took him longer than it should have to see the first signs of his Wu'rak Abrun, or as most Vulcans knew it as one's first taste of the fires of the Pon Farr.

It first started when Spock was walking Jim to his classes. It was preferable to staying in the house since the incident at the VSA review board, and his announcement of joining Starfleet instead of following his family's tradition. Sarek stood and left the table, leaving his dinner untouched. Sarek had not spoken to Spock since, and it has been a week. Whenever Sarek looked at Spock it was with anger, and disappointment.

Jim nudged Spock. “Sa-mekh can't hate you forever. He'll just have to get over it. Besides you were ready to join the VSA until those bastards insulted you.”

Spock sighed. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. Father is known for his determination and single-mindedness.”

Jim stopped to wipe beads of sweat from his forehead. He hated walking because of a combination of Vulcan's heat, higher gravity, and low-oxygen, but he stubbornly stuck it out. His endurance had increased since he began living here, but it was still difficult for him. As usual when they reached the city, Jim needed a break from the heat. This was usually when they made a detour to a nearby establishment that sold ice cream to prevent a heat stroke. “Hey Spock! Can we get some ice cream?”

Le-sum-krim was plainly advertised in Federation Standard as “Frozen Dairy”, and became a regular detour for them. It was popular with outworlders, mainly humans who wanted relief from Vulcan's heat, and Vulcan adolescent couples courting one another. The reason Vulcan couples were seen often here was because the size, placement and arrangement of the table made it ideal for covert finger kisses and hand holding. Jim looked at Spock with those Volkaya blue eyes that he had little resistance against.“Very well, Jim.”

Jim ran inside and sighed with relief as cooler air hit him. It was run by a Vulcan couple that Spock became acquainted with from his and Jim's frequent trips here. T'Pril and Stok greeted them with a curt nod. Chocolate was a flavor that was not on the menu, being contraband on Vulcan, but Jim discovered other flavors that appealed to him. Jim greeted the proprietors politely. “Greetings, T'Pril, Stok. I would like the usual, please.”

T'Pril nodded and handed them one frozen cream-filled ameelah on a stick, or a Vulcan banana-cicle as Jim called them, and a plain cup of Terran vanilla ice cream for Spock. She asked, “Spock. I have heard you refused the Vulcan Science Academy, despite being accepted.”

Spock suppressed the feeling of embarrassment. “Affirmative. They failed to uphold Surak's teachings of IDIC. It was illogical to go where my t'hy'la would be viewed with contempt and barred from joining my side.”

They said nothing beyond a raised eyebrow. They read between the lines. In other words, Spock told the VSA to go to hell after they insulted his t'hy'la and his human mother. Spock took their food and found a place to sit. Spock found his and Jim's favored corner to be unoccupied and sat down eagerly. Spock found this table to be favorable because it was tucked in a corner and was one of three tables with the maximum privacy allowed in this public eating establishment.

Their hands couldn't find one another fast enough. Spock's expression faltered into one of pleasure before concealing it. Their skin tingled pleasantly where bare contact was made. Jim smiled and his thoughts were distracted by the presence of an unlikely couple. _“Hey Spock, look to the north east corner. Guess who else is here to have a little hand make-out session?”_

Spock glance and saw T'Pring sitting at a table with Stonn of all people. Only T'Pring's left hand was seen above the table eating her ice cream, the other was not seen. Stonn only had one hand above the table as well. Logically it meant that... _“T'Pring and Stonn are courting?”_

It was surprising considering T'Pring's animosity with Stonn in their youth. Jim's mental voice shrugged. _“He's not a complete asshole anymore. I can't remember the last time he picked on you.”_

“ _It was forty-two days since your first day at the Vulcan Learning Academy. He admitted interest in our Macgyver game. That was my last incident with Stonn.”_

“ _Yeah. I think its really caught on. I hear the VSA students are playing it now. Especially the ones who plan on going on survey vessels and may be cut off from a starbase.”_

“ _It is logical in its own way... To improvise with what you have at hand for repairs is a most useful skill to have.”_

The thought of the Vulcan Science Academy was sobering for Spock. He graduated from the Vulcan Learning Academy with top scores and scored a perfect on his astrophysics test for the Vulcan Science Academy's entrance exams. He was admitted by the Science Council but he was still viewed as inferior. They called his mother a disadvantage and they called Jim, his own t'hy'la, a disadvantage.

The VSA would never admit Jim and he would be encouraged to be his obedient house-husband while Spock pursued science. It would be an ignoble and boring life for his t'hy'la's brilliant mind. He refused to go, and now his father wasn't speaking to him. Spock felt Jim's thoughts brush against his. _“Don't worry Spock. They're all a bunch of pointy eared assholes. If they think you're disadvantaged by your humanity then hey don't deserve someone as awesome as us.”_

Spock warmed by the thought. _“I thank you for your confidence. We will find another path to the stars. I still plan for us to join a ship to explore space together. I will not tolerate leaving you to tend my estate as a mere servant while I explore the stars.”_

“ _Starfleet? I mean... I know my dad died, but it was a freak occurrence. I looked at the VSA's peer reviewed science journals. All the biggest breakthroughs and most interesting discoveries are being made by people in Starfleet.”_

“ _I know. That is one reason why it holds great appeal. The fact that your excellent scores at the VLA guarantees that Starfleet will except you, it means we can serve together on the same ship. The Federation makes accommodations for Vulcan bondmates, perhaps Starfleet can do the same for us?”_

“ _That sounds awesome! Someday I could captain a starship and you'll be my First Officer!”_

“ _You do not mind me accepting Starfleet's offer?”_

“ _No way! If you're going, then I won't be far behind you.”_

Spock had not forgotten their dream when they were so much younger. If the VSA would not accept them, then perhaps Starfleet would? Spock had decided that he would apply to Starfleet as well when he applied for the VSA. It was logical to cultivate options. Starfleet was only a back-up, but now it was his path. Logically the path that did not view his relationship with Jim with disdain was the preferable one.

Spock was brought from his thoughts when he saw Jim eating his frozen treat. It was no different from how he usually ate it, but this time it _felt_ different. It was when Jim started licking and sucking on his frozen treat that Spock realized how sexually suggestive the Ameelah on a stick was. It was not logical to find himself so fascinated by Jim eating a frozen fruit and dairy food, however it was true. He lost all interest in his own ice-cream. His appetite for food was gone.

Spock found himself feeling an emotion he had felt before. It was desire, but of a different variety he had not encountered. It was like hunger for food, but not. It was like he needed Jim but he didn't know in what way. Spock stiffened as Jim continued to suck on the suggestively shaped food. “Hey Spock! Look what I can do with this popsicle!”

Jim then tipped his head back and managed to get the entire frozen ameelah down his throat, making an obscene moaning sound as it slid in. Spock's mouth became dry, and a simple act of eating frozen fruit had become erotic. Jim pulled the popsicle out with a loud pop and stared at Spock. “Are you okay? I felt... hunger from you. Aww, did you want some? I'm happy to share with you.”

Spock put up his mental shields after realizing that they had fallen like the walls of Da'Kum'Ulcha. Spock mentally chanted, _“I am Vulcan. Rata Tafar Tapan. Concept. Discipline. Cerebral Process. I control my emotions, they do not control me.”_ as a mantra against the primitive emotion that welled up. Jim looked at Spock with concern. “Spock, if you're hungry just take a bite. I don't mind.”

Spock put walls around the disturbing new emotion and took a bite around the cold fruit. He did not want to admit to Jim his brief moment of weakness. He did not want to eat it, but it was better than admitting his hunger for something else. As they continued Spock put up mental barriers around the distracting sucking Jim made. Spock's barriers almost broke again when melted cream in the center of the fruit spilled onto his face... Spock realized that it resembled semen. “Aw man. It's all over my face.”

Spock whimpered. It was lust. He was lusting after Jim. He wanted mate with him, to throw him on the ground, and replace that piece of fruit for the part of a Vulcan male's anatomy that it resembled. _His own anatomy_. He wanted to see how far Jim could swallow his... Spock slammed shut that obscene thought, put a cage around the primal emotion and threw away the key. It was not logical to mate with Jim. Not yet. There is a time for that and now was not the time.

Jim sighed. “Hey, I can't help it if I'm a bit messy. Sorry if it's stressing you out. I'll be cleaner.”

Spock swallowed, and regained his control. “It is alright Jim... Perhaps next time we can get some ice cream in a bowl and not on a stick.”

“Okay...” Jim looked sad. Spock did not like Jim feeling sad. “... but I really like popsicles.”

Spock sighed. Truly this was going to greatly test his endurance. “How do you not trigger your gag reflex when you do that?”

Jim shrugged. “I guess practice. I get bored sometimes, so I play with my food. I can't help it if I can't sit still. You wanna see put the ameelah down my throat again again?”

Spock was about to decline but Jim opened his mouth and slid the phallic shaped fruit so easily down his throat and pulled it out with an audible pop. It did not help that ameelah was approximately the same shade of green as a Vulcan penis as well as sharing the same shape. Then Spock felt an almost painful throbbing in his groin. It could not be. Not now. Not in public. Spock fidgeted as he felt a moisture in his undergarments. He was producing lubricant. Spock let out a shaky breath. Being in public with Jim became a herculean test of his emotional control. “You are quite talented at that Jim.”

Jim continued to suck on his suggestively shaped frozen treat quite happily and innocent of how it was effecting Spock. “Thanks.”

Spock stiffened as he felt his penis swelling and attempting to emerge from his genital pouch. “Surak's grace be with me...”

“Spock? You sure you okay? Seriously I'm getting some weird emotions from you.”

“I am fine.” Spock lied.

Jim narrowed his eyes. “Bullshit.”

“I need to use the toilet.”

Spock got up and ran to the facilities. He closed the door and locked it. When he parted his robes and pulled down his undergarments sure enough was his penis almost half way out of his sheath. His Wu'rak Abrun was upon him. He thought of something un-arousing like the memories of walking in on his parents coupling. Then the audible memory of his great-grandparents T'Pau and Solkar mating. That did it. His penis shrank back into its pouch. Spock wiped his groin of the excess lubricant and straightened himself out until he was completely under control. Not yet. It was a false alarm. Were this his Wu'rak Abrun he would have other symptoms which he has not shown yet. Perhaps his human blood would spare him most of the unpleasantries? Spock had hope.

He rejoined Jim and finished their meal. Spock escorted Jim to his first class, briefly giving Jim a Vulcan kiss before leaving. Spock let their kiss linger two seconds longer that what was considered acceptable and left for the Starfleet base in Shi'kahr to continue studying what is to be expected at the Academy and in Starfleet. It was logical to get a head start before the beginning of the semester in five months time.

Things had returned to normal and Spock felt nothing more from his penis like he did with Jim at the ice cream parlor. He escorted Jim to the VLA and went to the Earth Embassy to get a head start on making the transistion to Starfleet. He later joined Jim at the VLA in their mid-morning meal together, however Spock hardly touched his food, and felt an itch beneath his skin.

Spock should have realized sooner his symptoms but all he could think about was Jim's location. Jim's absence from his side became irritating and during their mid-morning meal, Spock was more tactile than usual. Spock did not know that his light finger touches emboldened to hand holding until an instructor scolded them. “Spock. Jim. Cease your indecent act of hand-holding. You are in public and you are displaying _emotion_.”

Trensu Sten said the word emotion like most Vulcans did: as if the word was poison on the tongue. Spock withdrew his hand and felt Jim tense after being caught. It was only at the end of the day when they were going build a warp coil with spare parts for a stasis food box when Spock was made aware of his symptoms of his Wu'rak Abrun. T'Pring was handing Spock the hydrospanner she borrowed when she wrinkled her nose and covered it with her hand. “Spock. You are emitting sexual pheromones. It is rather distracting. Please cease.”

Spock froze. “I was not aware. I apologize.”

T'Pring raised an eyebrow. “You went through your Wu'rak Abrun, did you not?”

“I have not.”

Stonn looked up from his work after sniffing the air and stared at Spock. Stonn paused and stated cautiously, “Spock. You should go home.”

Other Vulcans stopped and stared at Spock and all of them _knew_. Spock's cheeks dusted faintly with green. “Yes. That is most wise. Jim will need to be escorted home separated from me, please make the necessary arrangements.”

Jim looked up and read the room. “Uh, guys what's going on?”

Stonn answered Jim and he saw the sympathetic wince on Stonn's face. “He is about to go through his Wu'rak Abrun... and he will be undergoing his Tal'oth.”

The male Vulcans all flinched. Spock swallowed. He knew Stonn went through his Wu'rak Abrun already because of his four month absence not long after the last time he bullied Spock. Stonn came back with his scent changed and his personality was completely different. He was no longer angry and seemed better controlled, but the first week upon his return Stonn was subdued. “Stonn. How... unpleasant will it be?”

Stonn replied with pity displayed clearly in his eyes, “Very.”

Spock gave all his Vulcan associates the ta'al. “Live long and prosper. I must leave.”

They all returned his ta'al. T'Pring spoke up as Spock was about to leave, “Spock. Your human blood and t'hy'la bond may grant you mercy.”

“I can only hope, T'Pring.”

T'Pring nodded, and Spock left without looking back.

Jim tried to go after Spock but T'Pring stopped Jim. “Jim. Do not go to him. Not at this time. He must learn to control his basest and the most primitive of drives as all Vulcans must.”

It was hard, but Jim understood. “I know, but it's hard to not help him when he's suffering... I think I need to go home as well.”

T'Pring agreed. “I will escort you, Sarek's estate is not far from my home. Come.”

Jim followed T'Pring to her hovercar. When they strapped in and she took off, T'Pring gave Jim a warning. “Spock's human blood may not spare him this indignity. He will be consumed by all thoughts of you and he may not be gentle. Jim, as a female my sense of smell is far stronger than that of males. You smell... not quite a human male... You smell almost like a Vulcan female.”

“What? Umm, can you clarify?”

T'Pring's cheeks were slightly green as she briefly glance downward at Jim's groin. “I do not presume to know the inner workings of your anatomy. I am merely stating what my senses are telling me what is fact. The fact is you smell like a Vulcan female about to reach adolescence... Her first Svai-tu-ashya or her blooming. When males catch the scent of such a female, particularly the female they are bonded to, it triggers symptoms similar to... Pon Farr.”

Jim blushed. “I didn't know.”

“I am curious, I heard you had Vulcan blood, do you have a womb?”

Jim's blush deepened. “Well... Apparently my regular healer said I was born with a vestigial uterus and two ovaries that are Vulcan, not human. It's the only thing Vulcan about me besides parts of my brain. She said they were just vestigial... Just there. They don't do anything. Besides, I'm a guy. Don't think I need them. Why do you ask?”

“11.945 percent of Vulcan males are On-Kuvsu, having both sets of reproductive organs with male organs favored because of how high maintenance female ones are. It was an evolutionary mechanism that came to be in times when females were scarce as a back-up. In this age, Vulcan males who possess an auxiliary uterus rarely use theirs.”

Jim didn't think much about his organs except when they hurt, like his stomach and his intestines after eating c'torr. As long at they stayed on the inside he wasn't bothered by them. He found out he had a uterus when he was ten and the Vulcan healer was giving him thorough exam after healing the black eye Uncle Frank gave him. Apparently it's been in his medical records for years and his mother never told him. It was another reason why Jim liked Vulcans more than humans at times, they don't beat around the bush or ever lie to spare someone's feelings. Jim knew he was a guy, having an extra part changed nothing. “So what does having an extra organ that doesn't do anything have to do with me smelling like a girl?”

“Because it may be active and producing the female pheromones you are emitting.” T'Pring sniffed Jim. “Your scent is a mix of human male and Vulcan female, though the former is stronger than the latter, it is still there. Perhaps a result of finding your t'hy'la so early in your life, and your body developed differently due to Spock bonding with you. There are several recorded cases of On-Kuvsu males bearing children because they had a t'hy'la bond... A bond with another male.”

Jim shrugged. “Sounds logical... Hey, do girls go through anything like a Wu'rak Abrun?”

T'Pring stiffened, but answered. “Yes. The Wu'rak Svai-tu-ashya, the First Blooming. It has the same symptoms. Increased libido, poor emotional control, loss of appetite, and the production of sexual pheromones.”

Jim felt shame flood him. That morning he teased Spock. He knew that his Vulcan banana-cicle was pretty damn suggestive. He didn't think it would do more than annoy Spock. He honestly thought Spock was just embarrassed by Jim's eating habits in public. Looking back, that hunger Spock had wasn't for some frozen banana. It was for Jim. He loved kissing Spock and holding hands, but to go all the way? Jim wasn't sure if he was ready. Hell, just thinking about it made him excited and nervous, but mostly nervous. “What's it like for girls? I mean, how is it different?”

T'Pring raised a brow. “We crave a male to penetrate and inseminate us. If we are not bonded, we study potential males like one studies vegetables at the market. Instead of a painful erection, our birth passage convulses painfully until it is stretched and filled by a male. Our passage clamps down on his second ridge for twenty minutes to an hour while the male continuously inseminates us while we continually climax to better take his semen into our wombs to ensure successful fertilization.”

Jim blinked. “You mean Vulcans... stayed knotted together like dogs?”

“Dogs? Ah, you mean the Terran canine. I am not sure of the mating practices of Earth dogs. The Vulcan penis has a secondary ridge human males lack. It swells during sex and the Vulcan female has a ring of muscle that acts as a locking mechanism. We ovulate infrequently and so evolved ways of ensuring we can find mates and successfully reproduce when we are fertile.”

“Like telepathy?”

“Affirmative. Mating telepathic bonds are useful in know exactly when your mate is sexually receptive. Every seven years our planet goes through a cycle where it is bombarded by less radiation making it an ideal time to breed. Having a telepathic bond ensures we can find our mate in time for the short breeding season. Most animals have evolved to follow the seven year cycle.”

“Huh. I didn't know that. So I guess you guys evolved to look for the most compatible mind. The stronger the telepathic bond, the better the mate?”

T'Pring nodded. “Precisely. We are here. Live long and prosper, Jim.”

“Peace and long life, T'Pring.”

Jim got out of the hovercar and watched T'Pring take off. He had a lot to think about. Like what Spock was going through. He felt their bond was slammed shut and giving it a mental poke was like touching a door to a burning house. Jim sighed and walked inside. Amanda hugged him. “Jim! You made it home by yourself?”

“No. T'Pring dropped me off.”

Amanda bit her lip. “Jim... Do you know what's wrong with Spock?”

“He's not feeling well.”

“I know but... He just went straight to his room without talking. Sarek is pretending like we have no son.”

Jim patted Amanda. “He'll get over it. He can't stay made at Spock forever. Besides, they insulted you, and me. How do you think Spock was supposed to take that?”

Amanda sighed. “Sarek wanted Spock to be able to ignore what people say about his family. Sarek had to in order to function when he married me. He couldn't keep challenging people who called me his 'human whore' to pre-reform duels to the death.”

Jim blinked. “He did what?”

“Never mind that Jim. Just help me get those two Vulcan knuckleheads talking again. They had been so close since you and Spock bonded and now this...”

“I'll try... Ko-mekh.”

“Thank you Jim.”

Amanda kissed Jim on the forehead and went to go work on dinner. She always cheered up when Jim called her the K-word. Jim tried to open the door to Spock's room but it was locked. Jim heard Spock whimper and he was breathing pretty heavily. “Jim... Please don't come in.”

Spock spoke a contraction. That was not a good sign. “Alright. I'll be out here... Look. About today in the ice cream parlor. I'm sorry for teasing you. I knew it was... suggestive but I love having fun and flirting with you. I didn't know it would bother you so much and I am here to help if you will let me... Amanda made tabsheel, your favorite. Come out and join me at least?”

Jim heard nothing but heavy breathing in there, and after a few minutes went to the dining room for dinner. He poked at his tabsheel, a sort of Vulcan cheesy potatoes. Usually he inhaled the stuff, but he didn't feel like eating. Just when Jim was working on a potato sculpture of Spock's face, the real thing appeared in the dining room. Amanda smiled, “Spock! I'm glad to see you are feeling better!”

Sarek for the first time stared at his son with something other than anger. Sarek sniffed the air, and looked at his son with a raised eyebrow. Spock didn't seem to acknowledge his mother's presence and completely ignored Sarek's. Spock strode toward Jim with a smile and scooped Jim up into his arms. Jim giggled as Spock gave him a big smooch on his cheek. “Wow, Spock! You're really affectionate tonight!”

Spock plopped down on the chair and arranged Jim onto his lap, pulling Jim close to him and encircled his arms around Jim's waist. Jim giggled when Spock started nuzzling his neck and purring. Spock rarely purred, and only did so when he was sleeping and cuddling alone with Jim.

Meanwhile Amanda had poured Sarek more tea and stopped and stared at the sight of her son acting so friendly with her adopted son. Amanda had yet to notice the tea was overflowing onto the floor. Sarek had a forkful of tabsheel that was midway into his mouth and was frozen there with his mouth hung open as he stared in horror at his son. The food fell from his fork onto the plate with a loud plop.

“Spock! That tickles! Hey, you hungry? It's tabsheel night.”

“Negative. I do not want food.”

He pulled Jim tight against him and started nuzzling Jim's neck and inhaled. “Jim... You smell quite appealing...”

Jim giggled. “Thanks. I don't smell any different do I?”

Spock started purring. “Yes... Your smell... I am drawn to it.”

Jim wiggled on Spock's lap. “Uh Spock? Something is poking my butt.”

Sarek stood up suddenly, the scrap of the chair making everyone in the room pause. Even Spock stopped sniffing Jim's neck to look at his father. Sarek looked back. “Spock. I have reconsidered my opinion of you joining Starfleet. After meditating on this matter I see now that it has merit.”

Spock looked shocked. “Father?”

Sarek ever the diplomat nodded, he shared a look with Amanda who seemed to be concealing her concern. “Yes, my son. Vulcan's relationship with the Federation and Earth in particular has had tensions. My decision in marrying Amanda smoothed growing contention between Earth and Vulcan. The son of a Vulcan ambassador joining Starfleet may eliminate some negative views other Federation worlds have of Vulcans.”

Amanda's eyes were wide, and staring at her sons. “Yes! That's right! It's logical, right my husband?”

Sarek kept staring at the way Spock held Jim so very close. Spock was not-so-subtly marking his territory. Jim was his property. It was a proclamation of Dena-val, the covetous aspect of love. “Yes. Very logical. Spock please let us speak in private and discuss your bright future in Starfleet.”

Amanda added. “Oh Jim, while Spock and Sarek are talking, I'd like to show you where I hide the chocolate around here.”

Jim yanked himself out of Spock's lap at the promise of chocolate. Spock whimpered. He wanted to keep holding Jim. He needed Jim. Sarek guided him to his office and locked the door. “Spock. Your Wu'rak Abrun is upon you. When did the symptoms start?”

Spock felt shame flood him. So much shame for not controlling himself, for losing it in public. “This morning before I escorted Jim to his first class.”

“You should have come home and informed me immediately when the first symptoms appeared.” Sarek in a rare gesture of affection brushed his fingers on Spock's face and lightly touched his mind, soothing the fire in Spock. “My son. The next four months will be difficult but you must control your lust. Jim is thirteen. Too young to consummate your marriage. Until he is ready... I must forbid you from sharing a bed with him.”

Spock bristled at that. Cuddling with Jim was one of his favorite activities. “Father that is unacceptable.”

“I tolerated it because you were both children. You are sexually mature now, but he still has a ways to go before he finishes maturing, both emotionally and physically. He cannot serve you as your bondmate. Not yet... My son, what if you lose control and break a bone? Or rupture his rectum? You are Vulcan, and at our hearts we burn like the fire at the heart of the mountain. It is all-consuming. If we do not control it, it will burn us and those around us. It is unpleasant but necessary.”

Spock shuddered at the thought of hurting his t'hy'la by accident. He stopped arguing. It was illogical to argue with the truth. Vulcans were three times stronger than humans. Sarek added, “You will not be separated, but you must conduct yourself... more appropriately until Jim reaches adulthood. Until then, learn to control yourself. You just attempted to put a claiming mark on his neck at the dining room table and you would have mated with him had I not stopped you.”

At much as it displeased Spock, his father was right. “I will depart immediately to begin my rite of Tal'oth.”

Sarek nodded and reached for something he kept on a shelf. It was an old dagger with a jasef crystal in the pommel. “This was my father's and his father's before him. It served me well on my own Tal'oth. Resist the h'ua this crystal will conjure using logic and survive four months in the desert. Live as a wild animal, mate as a wild animal. Burn out these lusts with the false visions in the sands where our ancestors learn to control their passions. Only then will you be able to shed your childish ways and become the strong adult that you need to be. For Jim.”

Spock took the dagger. The jasef crystal had vokaya impurities in it. It looked like Jim's eyes. Spock swallowed at the ancient Vulcan letters inscribed in the blade. Concept. Discipline. Cerebral Process. Spock swallowed. Jim needed a controlled Vulcan for a bondmate. Not a wild animal.

 

* * *

 

When Spock came back from his rite of Tal'oth he was quiet, calm, and... well more Vulcan. For the past four months Jim felt the door of their bond lock from the other side. Half of their tree was throbbing. Jim touched it and felt fear, hunger and rage from Spock. He was alive but he was going through hell. Jim learned that when he touched and thought really hard on comfort, it stopped burning a little. Jim felt like he was helping.

However Spock had changed. The first night when Jim tried to hop into bed with him, he kicked Jim out and said “It is inappropriate for an adult to share a bed with anyone who not a bondmate. We can share a bed again upon our wedding day.”

Jim spent almost a month sulking. He couldn't sleep in his own bed. He was lonely. He ended up going out into the living room and curling up with Pooh-Bear for comfort. Spock hadn't even held his hand. Jim was lucky to even get a finger kiss out Spock these days. Tomorrow Spock would be leaving for Starfleet and Jim would be seeing even less of him. Movement alerted Jim and Pooh-Bear wagged his tail when Spock approached with several pillows and a blanket. “We cannot share a bed. However, a sehlat is not a bed and I see no logical reason why we cannot share this sehlat.”

Jim grinned ear from ear as Spock tossed the pillows down and laid down with Pooh-Bear and Jim. Jim hugged Spock and found his hug being returned.

As Spock settled and got comfortable, at least as much as he could using a sehalt as a pillow, Jim asked quietly, “What happened to you out there?”

Spock flinched. “I had to learn to control my... sexual desires. As you know Vulcan emotions run deeper than in humans.”

Something occurred to Jim. “Did you spend the past four months jacking off in the desert?”

It must have been bad to make this new Spock flinch. “Yes.”

Jim grinned. “You were thinking of someone sexy and irresistible, weren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Who was this siren seducing my t'hy'la?”

“A hu'a. A desert spirit of lust conjured by my father's ritual blade. It took the form of someone quite alluring.”

“Hu'a, huh? She sounds like a hussy. I may have to beat her up.”

Spock had that small smile that reached his chocolate colored eyes instead of his lips. “You did. I felt you. The real you. I overcame my base desires for brief sexual pleasure for a greater one: your happiness.”

“Our happiness.” Jim corrected. “You did pay a zoo bird a whole bag of delicious potato chips for me. I think I'm worth more than some hu'a hussy. After all, she ain't going to be captain of a ship someday, I am.”

Spock's eyes sparkled. “Yes Jim. Your worth is of a most considerable sum.”

“You'll totally tell me all about Starfleet, and what you learn, right?”

“Yes. I will share all that I have with you.”

“Good.”

That night they curled up with Pooh-Bear and slept peacefully. Even when Spock departed for Earth, leaving Jim behind on Vulcan with their parents, it was not sorrowful. They were t'hy'la and nothing was going to separate them, not even a few measly light-years.

 

* * *

 

 


	4. Part Three: Lover (Jim)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexual tensions rise to their peak and the story closes with the two of them consummating their love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: There will be underage sex. Jim is sixteen when he and Spock go at it like horny tribble-rabbits. There is some phone/comm sex between them before that and lots of mentions on masturbation and making out because I was once a teenager and I know what they do.
> 
> Guest Stars: This chapter will have guest appearances from Leila Kalomi from the episode "This Side of Paradise, Harry Mudd (from Mudd's Women and I, Mudd, and Mudd's Passion), the Romulan Commander from the episode "Balance of Terror" and two surprise appearances at the very end ;)

 

Translations:

Sanosh – Pleasure

Abrupik – Dominant

S'Vaksur

On-Kuvsu – Literally translates to “both sex/gender”

Da'Kum'Ulcha – City of Shadows. Now abandoned, said to be haunted.

Hamlan – “The Great Oasis” the Vulcan concept of paradise or heaven.

 

 

 

Part Four:

Lover

(Jim)

 

 

 

Jim missed Spock. A lot. It had been a year since Spock left for Starfleet Academy and while he missed having Spock around often, he commed Jim everyday. Jim quickly figured out why Sarek had changed his mind about Spock signing up for Starfleet and it wasn't the diplomatic bullshit Sarek, as an Ambassador he was skilled at, had spun. It was because Spock had become sexually capable while Sarek thought Jim was too young to even conceptualize having sex with Spock.

Jim was almost fifteen now. He knew what he had between his legs and he knew what he wanted to do with it and the name of the thing he wanted to do was Spock. Too young everyone said. Jim was getting sick of hearing it. When he last called Spock, Jim suggested to him with a waggle of his eyebrows, “So Spock... You're alone in your dorm, I'm alone in my room...”

Spock raised a brow. “That is true. Is there a question?”

Jim sighed. “Yeah, let's do some comm sex.”

Spock's eyes widened and his breath hitched. “Jim. I am twenty one, you are fourteen. That is most inappropriate.”

“Hey, almost fifteen! And we're married! We should at least be allowed to fool around a bit!”

Spock's ears were an interesting shade of green. “We will mate at the appropriate time. Until then I cannot touch you.”

Jim groaned. “I'm only talking about comm sex, which is basically us getting naked and masturbating while the other watches. I masturbate, I know you've masturbated. We both want each other and this way you wouldn't be touching me, technically speaking... And I know how Vulcans love technicalities.”

Spock seemed to waver but that Vulcan shield came crashing down. “I will meditate and do research on this... act of comm sex.”

The next day Spock's answer was a firm “No. It is still sex and we are not allowed to engage in it at this time. If you wish upon our next visit... we can... massage each other's hands.”

Spock's demure offer of a hand massage seemed like such a lewd suggestion to a Vulcan, but to Jim it was only a drop compared to the tall drink of Vulcan water that he craved so badly. It was better than nothing and Jim took whatever physical contact with his supposed bondmate he could get. Jim's sexual frustration only increased when Spock pulled away when Jim tried to heat things up by sucking on his fingers. Jim went back to Vulcan with a dick as hard as a rock and blue balls. When Amanda asked why Jim was crying he answered, “I just miss Spock really bad... I need to use the bathroom.”

That was a low point. Masturbating in the bathroom on their starship with Sarek undoubtably able to hear Jim's activities. If Sarek did, he said nothing about it. However he did ask Jim if he wished to try some meditation techniques. “Jim, my son, there is a fascinating meditation technique that is quite successful in suppressing unwanted desires. I have heard humans have had success in it.”

Jim blushed. “I'll give it a try.”

Sarek meant well, Jim knew, but it was super embarrassing having your foster father offer to help get rid of your sexual desires for his biological son. Jim gave meditation a try. It had mixed results. While he stopped running to the bathroom at school to jerk off an unwanted erection, it gave him the most vivid and lewd wet dreams.

One day Jim got out of bed and sighed as he saw the messy sheets. Another wet dream. This time it was him and Spock on the bridge of their pirate star ship. Jim was the Captain, Spock the First Officer and both of them naked except for their knee high leather boots. Usually his wet dreams were of Spock mounting him out on their favorite thinking spot out in the desert like a pair of sehlats in heat. Everything got him hard and reminded him of his sex dreams about Spock. He walked to school and saw a rock shaped vaguely like a penis. Jim had to think about T'Pau naked to make his inconvenient boner go away.

Jim wondered if he and Spock were ever going to have sex. Jim knew that Spock kept himself shielded. The door that lead to Spock's mind was kept locked. It made Jim feel lonely. Spock used to come often in Jim's mindscape to play with him, but nowadays it was like he was afraid to. Even in their minds Spock refused to give into their mutual desires for one another. They were married weren't they? It sure didn't feel like it to Jim.

Jim threw himself into his schoolwork. Today Trensu T'Pall announced for their Vulcan history they would be doing a reenactment of the infamous fall of the ancient city of Da'Kum'Ulcha. “We must respect our violent, barbaric past. The point of a reenactment is to understand the dangerous emotions that ruled our ancestors. The Fall of Da'Kum'Ulcha is example of why we strive to prevent our emotions from controlling us. It has relevance to us since Vulcan now has living t'hy'la pair. Any queries?”

Satek asked their instructor. “Who will play what part?”

“I have logically decided on who will best be able to depict the main characters. For the part of S'Vaksur the Golden, Jim the human is the logical choice as all of you may have already concluded for obvious reasons.”

Jim straightened up. “Wait, what am I doing?”

The teacher gave him that subtle Vulcan sigh. “You will play the part of S'Vaksur the Golden, Sylar's t'hy'la. S'Vaksur was widely believed to have had a rare series of mutations that resulted in gold colored hair, blue eyes and was on-kuvsu as interpreted from page 294. No Vulcan alive today has such traits. You Jim have these distinctive traits and for the sake of accuracy you are chosen. Please research your part.”

Jim looked at the aforementioned page and plowed through the archaic Vulcan dialect of Sylar's description of S'Vaksur. _“Golden like the sun, thy hair. Eyes of the rare volkaya stone that pierce my katra. Thy form so delightfully plump, and strong. Though a man born, thy scent grips me like the rare Vulcan flower that blooms once every seven years. I burn as I gaze upon thee. Thou are a beauty compared to Hamlan. Beauty is indeed thy name!_

Jim blushed at the poetic waxing this Sylar guy did for S'Vaksur. It was overwhelmingly emotional compared even to some human poetry much less modern Vulcan. Jim asked the teacher. “Was S'Vaksur an ancient paragon of beauty or something?”

Trensu T'Pall sighed again. “Indeed. S'Vaksur is still used an example of the dangers of letting sexual desires overwhelm one. S'Vaksur was a rare and exotic beauty who was the cause of a war that destroyed Vulcan's largest city in one night. The tyrant Abrupik wished to keep that which was not his, and as a result of his inability to control his emotions killed S'Vaksur. In response Sylar killed every inhabitant of Da'Kum'Ulcha with a mass telepathic assault that was caused by his severed t'hy'la bond. The ruins are still haunted by the katras of his victims to this very day.”

That was new to Jim. He knew Da'Kum'Ulcha was haunted as fuck by dead telepathic Vulcan ghosts, but the fact that they died because they killed this Sylar guy's precious t'hy'la hit close to home. If Spock was his t'hy'la did that mean if Jim died that Spock would go nuclear on everyone? “Hey, Trensu T'Pall?”

She sighed. “Yes, Jim. What is it?”

“If I die, would Spock really explode?”

“No, he would not cause a violent energetic expansion of force going outward. The proper term is mass telepathic assault. Those without strong telepathic shielding, like infants or psi-null species like humans, Spock would cause a telepathic assault that will cause severe brain hemorrhaging. It is why Vulcan has such stringent laws protecting t'hy'la pairs, especially before they have their bonds consummated and are less of a danger to those around them if their t'hy'la should die. Now please look at the list of your parts that I have assigned you...”

Jim felt numb. If something happened to him, Spock would kill everyone. Later that night he called Spock and before Spock could get one hello out Jim shouted, “Why didn't you tell me that you would explode if I died?!”

Spock blinked. “Clarify.”

“I read about how Da'Kum'Ulcha was destroyed! Sylar and S'Vaksur! One of them died before they could have sex and Sylar killed everyone! Spock! We need to have sex as soon as possible so you don't go nuclear!”

Spock opened his mouth, and shut it. Jim crossed his arms. “It's logical mister. If I die now, and there was no one to preserve my katra, you would turn into a brain melting bomb.”

Spock looked tempted. “The chances are remote. You are in Shi'Kahr and our t'hy'la bond is publicly known. No Vulcan will allow harm to come to you and will strive to preserve your life.”

Jim huffed. “Will you at least watch me in my play? I got the part of S'Vaksur.”

Spock's gaze softened. “I will not miss it.”

The costume was a lot smaller than expected, as in it was just several pounds of jewelry and a loincloth with the mark of the tyrant Abrupik's house on it. Apparently this S'Vaksur guy was captured and sold as a slave to the warlord Abrupik as a child. S'Vaksur was his most coveted prize and would not relinquish S'Vaksur to his t'hy'la, Sylar, Abrupik's sworn enemy. It was basically a Vulcan version of Romeo and Juliet except Sylar never even got one night with his Vulcan Juliet and the whole city was demolished. The only survivors were a few well trained monks in the telepathic disciplines. They fled haunted city and spread the tragic story as a warning so it would not be repeated.

One thing that S'Vaksur was famous for that Jim wasn't sure he was good at was what the instructor described was “a graceful and sexually arousing dance.” Jim knew the Orion Twist and the classical Earth dance called the Funky Chicken. That was it. Jim however would give it his all. Apparently Trensu T'Pall wasn't satisfied with his imitation of Orion dance moves. Or even the Funky Chicken. And apparently Vulcans didn't dance anymore and stone tablets weren't really accurate. Jim's research on “sexy Vulcan dance moves” came up with a total search result of “Are you kidding?”

So Jim decided to bullshit his way through it, which is what he was good at. T'Pall for the sake of time told him to “Just dance to the best of your abilities. You are human. We do not expect grace.” That was when Jim decided to try another ancient centuries old Earth dances like the Twerk. Jim would give them some god-damn “grace and sexually arousing” moves and he was going to blow Spock away.

So when Jim saw an audience of Vulcan parents and many others who were obligated to attend their play, Jim beamed when he saw Spock in the front row. As the play progressed Jim waltzed out onto the stage, his jewelry jingling as he skipped, and Jim gave Spock a salacious wink, and gyrated and thrust his hips in the most lewd fashion possible. Spock's eyes widened as Jim ground his hips and shook his ass at him and the audience. Jim could feel Spock hot gaze upon him and Jim could see him gripping his seat with white knuckles. Jim could feel their bond was on fire. Spock desired him. If Jim pushed his hips a little more maybe Spock might change his mind about Jim being too young.

Jim yelped when his teacher, T'Pall pulled him offstage. “S'chn T'gai Jim! What is the meaning your actions?”

“You said graceful and sexually arousing. Vulcan does not really dance anymore, so I decided to use some ancient Earth dance called Twerking.”

T'Pall's nostrils flared. “You were supposed to perform a dance that is slightly reminiscent of the sexually arousing S'Vaksur, not outdo him! Because of your most indecent dance many members of the audience had to leave to meditate away their unwanted sexual desire. You even caused Solok to go into his Wu'rak Abrun prematurely!”

Jim looked around. Solok, the guy playing Sylar that Jim was gyrating to, was limping out of there and panting hard while holding his crotch. Jim peeked out from the stage to see the rest of the audience. They were flushed green and shocked by the lewd act of Jim's dancing, some Vulcan men were leaving and had a distinct bulge in their robes. Jim saw that Spock was gone, and had put up an duranium hard barrier on his side of their bond. Jim winced. “Could you give everyone my apologies?”

“I will. I believe it is best that you go home.”

Jim sighed and sulked back home. Amanda thought Jim was funny and that the Vulcans were overreacting. Sarek blushed pretty hard when Amanda playfully imitated Jim in the kitchen. Sarek told Jim that Pooh-Bear needed another long walk and to meditate on his actions today. Jim rolled his eyes. He knew when Sarek wanted him out of the house to have sex with his wife. Sure enough Jim heard the familiar sounds of Sarek pounding Amanda into their bed.

Jim kicked a rock and went to their thinking spot out in the desert. “I don't understand Pooh-Bear. If Spock wants me so much why won't he just take me already?! God! I feel like my dick is going to fall off! I can't help it if I'm so damn horny all the time!”

“You penis will not fall off from sexual frustration.”

Jim heard Spock's voice from behind a rock and saw him straightening his pants. Jim took a big whiff and smelled the same scent of sexual frustration and self-satisfaction that often hung around his own bedroom these days. “Spock? Were you out here jacking off?!”

Spock blushed. “Meditation did not work, so I used masturbation to rid myself of a problem.”

Jim crossed his arms. He was pissed. “I'm right here Spock. I'm ready for you to bend me over and make me yours.”

Spock wavered and shook his head. “No. You are not ready. Not yet.”

“But I am ready! I'm fifteen now! I'm horny! Everyday I fantasize about you! I want you!”

Spock sighed. “I know you believe you are ready but you are not. Jim... before you get angry at me please remember that Vulcans are stronger than humans. If I mate with you, my emotional controls will be absent. You will have to take the full force of my passions and I will not care if I injure you.”

Jim started crying. “You don't touch me anymore. No hand holding, no kisses. Nothing.”

Spock felt his heart break in his side at seeing his t'hy'la cry. He had harmed his t'hy'la. That was unacceptable. Spock pulled Jim flush against him and their lips were almost touching. “Parted from me, never parted. Touching and always touched. My t'hy'la... Jim, I am sorry for hurting you. Please allow me to rectify this. Seeing you on that stage, I wanted to claim you, to rip that male you were gyrating against to pieces and claim you in the ancient way for all to see. Not touching you was a mistake.”

Spock closed the gap and kiss Jim on the lips for the first time since before his Wu'rak Abrun. This time was different. This time electricity surged through them. It deepened. This kiss was filled with fire and promised passion. It was a far cry from the chaste kisses of their youth. Jim gasped and Spock delved deeper to claim his mouth. When they parted both were panting. Jim smiled. “That was the best kiss ever!”

Spock gave Jim a rare smile. “Is this sufficient?”

Jim nodded. “For now, yeah.”

Spock kissed him again, this time more tongue and less bruising. “Jim.”

Jim was in a euphoric daze. “Yeah?”

“I have changed my decision on the idea of mutual masturbation over the comm.”

“Yes! Let's do that now!”

Jim was already yanking his pants off when Spock stopped him. “While we are together I am not adverse to human kissing and hand massages, but if you were to...” Spock looked at him hungrily. “I could not hold back, and what I am doing now is breaking my word to my father. I promised that I would refrain from touching you before you are an adult.”

Jim sighed. “I get it... but making out is cool... and hey, you being off-world is something I'm looking forward to now.”

Spock smiled. “I am glad to give you some pleasure.”

Jim's fingers trailed down his robes. “Can I at least see it? I won't touch it. I just want to see what you look like hard. I know it's out and ready to play, I can see your robes tenting.”

As with many of Jim's requests, Spock knew it was a bad idea but he caved in because how could he say no to his t'hy'la. Spock looked around to see if there would be any witnesses to his act of indecency. The only witness would be Pooh-Bear and he was preoccupied with cleaning his posterior. Spock nodded and undid his robes and his erection sprang free.

Jim gasped at sight of Spock's erection. It was long, green and had double ridges and it shone with moisture from the head to the base of the shaft where it emerge from a slit. “Holy shit! You're a hell of a lot bigger than me!”

Spock felt a surge of self-consciousness. “Am I not satisfactory?”

“Oh my god, Spock! It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! If I could touch you I would be sucking that thing down like frozen ameelah.”

Spock groaned and his erection throbbed at the thought of Jim orally pleasuring him. Jim was so talented with popsicles... Before Spock knew it, Jim was yanking his pants down and the two of them were sitting side by side on their favorite cliff and engaging in the mutual masturbation that Spock promise he would not do. It was allowed, Spock told himself as he watched his t'hy'la pleasuring himself while watching Spock do the same. They were told they could not touch each other until the time for marriage and technically they weren't.

Spock gasped as he climaxed and his seed spilled onto the distant rocks below and soon Jim's seed went careening downwards as well. It was poetic in a way. Spock had crossed a line and now he was falling down a cliff. As he looked into his t'hy'la's eyes he knew he would do far more immoral things for him.

Jim kissed him. “That was so fucking hot.”

Spock numbly nodded.

Jim smiled, and his gaze was filled with promises of pleasure. “Amanda and Sarek are busy. Want to go again? This time we can kiss while we jack off.”

Spock nodded. His erection was already emerging from it's sheath. “Yes. But no more. We must be discreet. We can go no farther.”

They masturbated two more times before returning home. The last one, Jim took Spock's fingers into his sweet mouth and sucked while they both had their other hands on their erections, pumping furiously into sweet release. Spock felt Jim's satisfaction hum pleasantly through their bond.

Jim noticed that when they went back to the house, Sarek gave them less and less opportunities to be alone. Sarek and Amanda said nothing, but from the way Sarek's nose wrinkled he could smell their activities. When Spock went back to Earth, Amanda asked Jim, “Jim, sweetie, you and Spock... You haven't been doing anything inappropriate have you?”

Jim truthfully could answer. “We never had sex. I'm not old enough.”

Amanda nodded. She probably didn't believe him but they both knew they couldn't keep them from playing around. They were in love and they were betrothed. Jim and Spock scheduled comm calls more carefully and Jim got more and more confidant the more times they watched the other pleasure themselves. Spock spilled himself right away the first time Jim started putting his fingers up his hole while begging to have Spock's cock inside of him. Jim knew somewhere that Spock might get in trouble if he was caught having comm sex with him, but he didn't care, he finally had some intimacy with his t'hy'la.

 

* * *

 

Spock was 21.865 precisely when he had graduated from the academy and was getting his first commission aboard the Constitution Class starship, the USS Enterprise. Spock's first semester at Starfleet Academy was mentally stimulating, as well as taxing due to the human's need for “small talk” and socializing. He was the subject of much attention, being the only Vulcan in Starfleet. Because of his scores and the intensity of education on Vulcan he was fast tracked and tested out of many basic courses. While most cadets would need to graduate in four years, Spock only needed two.

Jim was excited, and whenever he visited, Spock's emotional and mental state improved but Jim's radiant presence was also detrimental to his studies. Spock did not make 'friends' as his mother had hoped. He did not need them. He had Jim, so truly why would he need to cultivate other relationships? Humans were either intimidated or entranced by the fact that he was Vulcan, and Spock found them to illogical and their actions quite mystifying.

One such encounter was with his associate, and frequent study partner, Leila Kalomi to be a true mystery. While a brilliant botanist, she behaved most illogically. She frequently asked him for his help in their shared xeno-botany class even though she was perfectly capable of handling whatever task she was dealing with.

Leila joined him for his midday meal with no invitation while he had been watching a video message from Jim. He was showing off his latest engineering project involving warp coils. Even with something as mundane as duranium plating Jim made it look so salacious. “Hi, Mr Spock! Last meal before we graduate- Oh! Who's the kid? He's adorable!”

“He is my t'hy'la, Jim.”

“Tea hee la?”

Spock did not flinch at the butchered pronunciation, he was long used to it. “The official translation is brother. It is not wholly accurate, nor does it include the full meaning, but seeing as my parents foster him, it is perhaps the best label to use for non-Vulcans.”

“He's your adopted brother? Oh I didn't know you had a little brother! How old is he?”

“He is 15.764 years of age precisely.”

Leila smiled at him. “I have a little brother myself. He can be so annoying at times but I love him.”

Jim was a subject that Spock felt fondness for and could converse easily in. “I can agree with the assessment. I find he has many traits that can be considered illogical, but I cherish him greatly regardless. I find myself noting his absence, particularly when I am alone in bed.”

“When you are alone in bed?”

Spock felt a warmth from his katra thinking of all the years Jim would sneak into his bedroom and cuddle with him. Even whenever he visited he would crawl into the sheets with Spock. “Yes. I sleep with Jim quite frequently. It always helped relieve whatever tension or stress that ailed me, and he was always eager to do so. He still desires my company and I his.”

Leila appeared most shocked by this. “Wait... You _sleep_ with your little brother?!”

Spock raised a brow. “Yes. I thought most humans were tactile in their need for affection and physical comfort? It is only logical to attend to those needs...” Spock thought with some disgust the amount of drool Jim produced on his pillows. “Sacrificing my sheets to the mess of bodily fluids that often results is logical because it assures his mental and emotional wellbeing.”

Spock stared at the image of Jim on his PADD smiling up at him. It brought him much warmth and memories of the comm sessions caused him to falter. He almost smiled and his face was flushed green. Leila said nothing. She merely picked up her tray and walked off. Spock did not look up, he ignored her to look at Jim's image. Spock's Vulcan hearing heard her mumble, “Jesus Christ I dodged a bullet there... I can't believe I've been crushing on a guy like Jaime Lannister... Yikes, talk about keeping it in the family... Eww! Vulcans are so strange!”

She never talked to Spock ever again after that despite being assigned to the same ship. He did not know of any cadet by the name of Jaime Lannister, but Spock assumed from Leila Kalomi's comment that whoever he was, had many family issues that made him an unsuitable bondmate. He did have to admit the comment on Vulcans being strange to be uncalled for since humans were far stranger. He dismissed the information as trivial and went back to his meal.

It was three months after his last conversation with Leila Kalomi that the unthinkable happened. He was now two and half months into his service aboard the Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike. He had graduated as valedictorian and given the rank of Lieutenant instead of Ensign like most cadets. As the only Vulcan in Starfleet he was put aboard their flagship and given special dispensation in hopes of getting more Vulcans to join. Spock had gotten notice from Captain Pike that they were to go to Starbase 12 to rendezvous with the Vulcan Ambassador and his family to return them to Vulcan.

Spock admitted to the Captain that he was looking forward to seeing his family and showing them the current experiments he was involved with. He had not seen them since they went to his graduation. He was particularly anticipating the arrival of his t'hy'la more so than his parents. Spock was observing some fascinating fungus samples when he got a message in the corner of his PADD of a text from Jim, _“I'm on Starbase 12 and I heard you're going to be on the ship taking us home! I can't wait to see you!”_

Spock smiled at the picture Jim took of himself on Starbase 12 that orbited Deneva. Jim was impatient, and Spock admitted he was as well. He suppressed the smile that threatened to make itself known. He and Jim discussed their level of physical intimacy with Jim's sixteenth birthday approaching. While Jim enjoyed their share sessions of self-pleasure, he was impatient and wished to explore more. Spock relented. Mostly because Jim stated his case logically; they already mind melded, a far more intimate act than mere genital stimulation. Though Spock admitted to himself that he too was eager to physically explore their relationship and each other's body.

Jim was coming now, Spock could feel it through their bond as they got closer to Vulcan. One of his fellow crew mates, commented from the plant sample he was studying, “So Lt. Spock... Looking forward to going to Vulcan? I bet you're jumping for joy... Well, maybe not.”

“It would not be logical to jump because of feelings of joy, Ensign Anderson.”

The human rolled his eyes and muttered, “Just trying to make a conversation...”

Spock was watching the fungus make an interesting reaction to a chemical when he suddenly felt terror rip through his katra, and Jim's voice desperately calling for Spock and then... silence.

Spock awoke in Sickbay with Dr Boyce hovering over him. “Lt Spock, are you in any pain?”

Spock blinked. “Doctor Boyce, what happened?”

“You collapsed in Science Lab 1, and Ensign Anderson called me. You've been unconscious for half a day. You drifted in and out of consciousness but... Lt Spock, you screamed like a banshee. I'm not sure what happened. I'm reading high levels of cortisol and some abnormal readings in your brain.”

Spock closed his eyes, and felt it. The utter sense of wrongness. Something happened to Jim. He couldn't feel Jim. He tried touching their bond, it was there but it was like something was blocking him. Spock never felt this before. Not in so long, not since those gray faded years before he first touched Jim in the San Fransisco Park. He felt so cold and so empty. “No...”

“Lt Spock? I think you're in shock.”

“Something happened to my t'hy'la!”

Spock was already trying to get out of the sickbed when Captain Pike came in. “Lt Spock, I'm glad you're awake. You had us worried. Are you alright now?”

Spock shook his head. “No. I am not alright. Contact Starbase 12 immediately. Inquire the status of Ambassador Sarek and his family. I believe something untoward has happened.”

Captain Pike gave him a strange look. “What makes you think that?”

Spock stared up at him. “Because Vulcans have telepathic bonds with their family. I felt terror and then nothing from my brother, Ambassador Sarek's other son. Something has happened to him. I can't feel him in my head anymore.”

Captain Pike stood up straighter. “I'll send a message out to check on them.” He pressed the Sickbay comm button. “Pike to Bridge, contact Starbase 12 now. Ask them for the current status of Ambassador Sarek... Tell them we have reason to believe something may be wrong and we're worried.”

Number One's voice filter through complying with the order. “Captain. We have Ambassador Sarek hailing us... He wishes to speak to you... and his son Lt Spock.”

Captain Pike and Spock shared a look and they hurried to the bridge. On screen was Sarek. To humans he appeared calm, to Spock he rarely saw his father look so stressed. Spock wasted no time. “Father. Where's Jim?”

“Spock. Jim has disappeared and is no longer on Starbase 12, it is most like that he has been kidnapped. He wished to see some Orion dancers performing on the Starbase 12 and left without our permission. Starfleet is assisting us in the search. Spock, can you still feel him?”

Spock tried not to break down. Not here. Not on the bridge in front of the captain. “No, father. I cannot... Father, I felt his terror, and... then there is nothing. It has not been severed... Just numb.”

“Then it is being blocked by either another telepath or anti-psi drugs. It is possible the kidnapper knew that he had a telepathic bond with a Vulcan. Jim was targeted, this was not random. We will continue the search. I have contacted the Vulcan High Council and all of our ships are apprised of the situation. Captain Pike, I require your ship to assist us in the search for my adopted son, Jim. As you will no doubt soon learn, Starfleet will send you orders to search for my younger son. I suggest you start immediately.”

Captain Pike nodded. “We'll be happy to help, Ambassador. We'll find your son. Enterprise out.”

When the call ended, not ten minutes later Pike got a call from Starfleet and sure enough, T'Pau herself got on their backs to find Jim of the house of Surak. Pike was surprised by how high up this was. “Lt Spock, your brother... How does your family know T'Pau that she'll reroute all of Vulcan's ships to search for your brother?”

“T'Pau is our Clan Matriarch and is our second foremother.”

Pike whistled. “So not only is this kid an ambassador's son but he's also related to Vulcan's most powerful figure. I don't need to tell you the diplomatic fallout if we don't find this kid. I know you're eager to find him since this hits close to home. Meet me in the briefing room, I want details about this adopted brother of yours. The more we know the higher our chances of finding him.”

Pike did not understand even a portion of this problem. He and Jim share the first confirmed t'hy'la bond in centuries. If Jim dies, so too will Spock, and quite possibly Vulcan's relations with the Federation if they do not put as much effort as they can into finding Jim alive. The fallout would be fatal, not just for him, but for all those around him... Spock shuddered as he remembered the ancient tale of how Da'Kum'Ulcha fell in a single night. If Jim dies, the Enterprise may meet the same fate.

 

* * *

 

Jim woke up groggy and his head pounding. He knew he was on a spaceship and judging from the rattle and slightly off hum, it was a cheap one. The last thing he remembered was running off from their quarters on Starbase 12 after Sarek told him that he wasn't allowed to see the Orion dancers, and Jim put on his le-matya cloak to impress the Orion ladies and didn't listen to Sarek's warning. Shit. Jim remembered seeing his birth mother for the first time in years, and she had a hypo and she was saying, “I'm sorry sweetie, but mommy's just trying to help you.”

Jim looked around and it was a cheap freighter. He had his clothes, and his le-matya pelt that he had converted into a cloak like the one he saw in the pre-reform section in the T'Plana Hath Museum. It was currently draped over him like a blanket. Jim listened closely and heard his mother's voice for the first time in years, “Dammit Mudd! You had better be right! I will not have my son killed because of some stupid scheme of yours!”

“It's used on Vulcan and Betazoid criminals all the time. Lexorin is the best psi-nullifier on the market.”

“Okay, but if it doesn't work, his pointy eared Romeo will not be far behind us. You ever see an angry Vulcan? They're worse than their Romulan cousins since they bottle up their emotions all the time.”

“Yeesh, and I've pissed off a Romulan or two... What'd Vulcan-Romeo do?”

“I ran into a friend of his from the academy... A botanist named Leila Kalomi. She said that he'd admitted that he's been _sleeping_ with my little boy for years. He's only fifteen! I'm not letting that sick pervert-”

Jim decided to make himself known. “Hey! Don't insult Spock!”

Winona and a strange man with an ugly mustache turned around to look at him. “Jimmy! Are you okay?”

Jim crossed his arms angrily. “You mean besides being kidnapped and injected with god-knows-what in that hypo?”

Winona flinched. “I heard Spock was... touching you inappropriately. I just wanted to protect you.”

Jim knew Spock well. He was the smartest guy in the universe but when it came to human slang and innuendos that beautiful Vulcan of his could be as thick as a brick. Jim sighed. “Sleeping. As in literally. Geez Winona, you'd think you'd know by now that Vulcans are literal. Spock would never hurt me, and you know it. Whoever this Leila is, probably lied to you, or, and this most likely, misunderstood Spock.”

Winona's eyes watered. “It's 'mom'. When did you stop calling me that?”

“When you looked at me and can only think of the day you lost Dad. I have new parents now. Sarek and Amanda Grayson. They've been awesome by the way, and they won't stop searching for me.”

The guy named Mudd balked. “Shit! Did you say Sarek? As in _Ambassador_ Sarek of Vulcan?! You kidnapped a diplomat's son! Worse, T'Pau herself is his grandma! Half the galaxy will be after us! I'm already banned on Vulcan! I've been to their prisons! Prison plomeek is the worst!”

Winona grabbed Mudd by the collar. “Get your shit together Mudd.”

“Nope. First backwater colony we come to will be your next stop.”

“No. We go to the one as planned. I know a guy there that's willing to help my son.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “How about you guys drop me off the nearest Starbase so I can go back home to Vulcan? Ko-mekh'il T'Pau likes me, I may convince her to go easy on you.”

“No!”

“No!”

They both shouted at the same time. Jim was getting pissed. Thankfully he's been getting good in his Suus Mahana classes. With some extra tutoring from Sarek, he managed to master the signature move; The Nerve Pinch. Jim stared at Mudd's shoulders and theatrically widened his eyes. “What the hell is that thing on your shoulder?!”

Mudd looked and Jim reached up and gave him the Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Oldest trick in the book. Jim shoved Mudd's fat carcass out of the chair and sat down. Jim stared up at Winona Kirk. “I'm driving... _Mom_. Or am I your prisoner?”

Winona flinched at the venom her son spewed at her. “I'm sorry. Look, I get it. You and I have grown apart... If you want to go back to Vulcan so badly, I won't stop you... But please give me a chance. Drop me off on my new home, check it out, and if you don't like it then your Vulcan friends can come get you... But right now you can be Captain since Mudd here's out cold. Captain Kirk, my little boy.”

Jim shouldn't have taken the bait. He really shouldn't have, but he really wanted to command his own vessel and he was out here among the stars. Looking at his birth mother he saw her broken, and beaten. “Fine, but I want to send a message to Spock stating that I'm okay and where to come pick me up.”

Winona hugged her son. “We'll do it when we get to the colony. Our long range communications got hit by some Klingon while you were sleeping... Honestly I don't know how this rust bucket is still going.”

“Seriously?! We're out in deep space without communications?! Dammit Mom!”

“Hey! It's Mudd's fault, not mine. I've got a better put together ship, but it doesn't have cloaking device like the Mudd Bucket here.”

This was getting better and better. “Where's the damn colony?”

Winona typed the coordinates. “Right here. Tarsus IV.”

Jim's gut was screaming at him to turn around and run, but his logic was saying the long range comm systems were out like Uncle Frank after a few shots of Romulan Ale and it was the closest place from where they were. If his mom was telling the truth they needed to trade this ship for something not falling apart at the seams. After living with Vulcans for years, he listened to logic instead of his gut, and it was a decision that would haunt him for years to come.

 

* * *

 

Winona had to take over piloting because of the dicey ion storm over the planet. Jim thought the rust bucket they were in would tear apart and Jim walked from the landing with a few bruises from the bulkhead meeting his noggin. It was a miracle that the ship was in one piece and still functional as a ship.

Tarsus IV was, Jim had to admit, was beautiful in a way. It was wild, untamed, with alien green and blue vegetation. It would have been amazing if it didn't set off his warning bells. There were armed guards everywhere and people in houses peeking behind shutters. They didn't dare come out. Jim glared at his mother, “Mom? What the hell is going on?”

Some armed guards came and asked for identification. Winona gave it, and they immediately escorted them to the colony's governor. Winona winked at Jim, “Governor Kodos. I met him once while working in Starfleet, he'd been talking about this planet he discovered and owned and was turning into a farming colony. He poached me for a job as the Chief Engineer and I've got my own house here.”

This Kodos guy lived in a palatial mansion. It would have been nice if it weren't for the ten foot wall with barbed wire. They were escorted inside to a spacious dining room. It was as cold and stale a beauty as an aging model after one too many botox injections. Jim preferred Vulcan design, it was cold and logical, but there was a hidden heat to them. Metals that required to be burned, beaten and reshaped and still retained the fire from the molten wombs of their birth. This place had nothing of that. It was all just was made to look pretty and expensive, like the shelves of paper books that were clearly made to be decorative and not read or the flower vase with no flowers. None of it served a purpose. Even Vulcan art served some purpose even if it was just to be a demonstration of the beauty of mathematics or physics.

A tall man with a thin mustache and hooked nose introduced himself as, “I am Kodos. Governor of this colony. Welcome back Winona, this is your son? George Samuel Kirk jr?”

Jim was about to say something when his mother elbowed him. “Yeah, but he goes by Jimmy. Mostly because of his fondness for Slim Jims. Right honey?”

Jim narrowed his eyes. For some reason his mother wanted him to pretend to be Sam. Probably didn't want to get caught with a kidnapped child of a Vulcan diplomat. “I prefer to be called Jim. Mom? Where's that subspace comm system? I want to send a message to my best friend. Let him know that I'm still alive.”

Kodos's eyes flickered with something like panic. “The ion storm has prevented long range communication. We haven't been getting any messages in or out since it started.”

“What?!” Jim wasn't happy. “Mom! You promised! I'm your prisoner, aren't I?!”

Kodos looked apologetic at least. “We are so sorry, but I promise you are not a prisoner... But I advise against leaving, we are having some minor problems... But they'll be fixed soon.”

Kodos trailed off and tried to put Jim at ease with a smile but came off as creepy. “Oh, and I'll have my personal physician attend to your wounds and give young Mr. Samuel Kirk here his first round of allergy shots... If they are needed.”

Winona sighed with relief. “Yeah, this kid has terrible allergies.”

The doctor was a hawk-eyed human woman with straight black hair. To Jim who had spent years living with Vulcans found her... Almost familiar. He couldn't tell what it was about her that made him think that. Her ears were round and she had pink color to her cheeks... Well it was hard to tell under the thick makeup she wore. Perhaps her scent? She didn't wear perfume but she smelled different from Amanda, or Winona and more like T'Pau or T'Pring or cousin T'Para. She smiled at him. “Relax. I'm Doctor Elisa Hawk. You are in good hands.”

Jim felt uneasy by the way she examined him and the delight at seeing results. “You are in excellent health, Samuel... Here, let me give you your allergy shots, you'll have to come see me once a week.”

Jim nodded. He wasn't sure about this woman. There was something off about her. “Hey, uh, Doc? I need to send a message off planet. I want to talk to my friend.”

She shook her head. “I'm afraid that's impossible. The ion storm prevents any off-world communication... However I can introduce to the other children that I have been treating on this colony. I'll enroll you in the local school we have here and you can make new friends.”

Jim sighed and left with his mother to check out his home, and his prison for the foreseeable future. Jim should have listened to his gut instead of his brain. Logic was always Spock's thing. Jim did not find out the horrible truth until a month later when Tarsus was hit with a crop destroying fungus and it all became a living hell.

 

* * *

 

They all lied. At first the house was nice, and so was some of the other kids at a small school he was forced to go to, but it was tainted by the fact that Jim was trapped on this planet. He would have loved exploring this place if Spock were here. The alien blue-green forests and streams and cool native animals were cool looking. That was why he worked tirelessly around the clock to escape this planet; Spock. While his mother was away at work, Jim roamed the colony nicking various parts, or vehicles to build a warp capable shuttle. After this, Jim was going to win at Macgyver.

Jim's sixteenth birthday came and went. He had originally planned to spend it with Spock, checking out his labs on the Enterprise, and making out with him in his room. They had talked about taking their kissing and watching each other jack off to something more bold. Spock had even mentioned reading Guv-Dau Kohl-Tor together with him. Jim had seen a handwritten scroll that was written by the last living t'hy'la pair Vulcan had, Spock was going to show him the digital copy he made for them to peruse... and recreate some of its erotic content. For Jim's birthday was imprisoned on a planet and he was pretty sure he was part of some horrible medical experiment.

Jim should've listened to his gut in the first place, he should have knocked his mother out, dropped her and her friend Harry Mudd on some rock and leave them there. Now it wasn't just his life that depended on him. There were nine other boys that got altered under the guise of “allergy shots” and an appendectomy. It was Thomas Leighton, who already had his appendix removed ask questions. They were altering them. The moment that one by one they woke up with something different appearing between their legs and tucked away under their balls, they knew.

That Doctor Hawk, whoever she really was, had mentioned Eugenics experiments. What she didn't tell them was she was the one conducting them. Jim asked them questions and that was how he found out why they in particular were selected. Why ten human males between the ages of eight and fifteen were living in gilded cages. They all had Vulcan blood, and they all inherited an auxiliary uterus from their Vulcan ancestor, except it was now fully functional now thanks to whatever they were doing to them.

They needed to escape. Fortunately for Jim, he had two advantages. One, he had a Vulcan education. Two, they didn't know that he was James T Kirk, the kid who was legally adopted into a powerful Vulcan family that was looking for him. Jim would have had three advantages but he found out that unlike the other kids, he'd been secretly dosed with Lexorin.

Jim had his telepathic bond to Spock being blocked, and they didn't know or even realize that he was bonded to a Vulcan. His mother probably didn't tell them who she had kidnapped and who was looking for him. His mother had been giving him extra shots and try as he could to avoid her, she would find him and hypo him. The worst part of this is that she tried to pretend that she loved him and acted like everything was okay here. His trust in her was as dead as his father. “Sorry Jim, but he has damaged your mind when your were a baby. If I sever the bond, you may be able to live a normal life. Your relationship with him... It's not healthy.”

Jim told his mother to fuck off. Everyone lied to him, so Jim would fight back since clearly there was no one was going to. The other grown-ups on the colony have gone paranoid and mad since the fungus destroyed the crops and food had to be rationed. Jim had to get to bottom of what was going on. That's why after his last forced visit to the good doctor, he left a bug he cobbled together. Sure enough, she was responsible for the weird alterations.

He heard her speaking Romulan in her office to another Romulan over a comm. Thanks to the similarities to Vulcan and his desire to learn how to cuss in Romulan, he could make it out pretty well. _“I have ten child-bearing male concubines that can serve our best Commanders away at war with no wife to serve them, and give them more children for the glory of the Romulan Empire. The most prized one, Samuel Kirk, has the highest amount of Vulcan blood in him at nearly ten percent. He should go into heat with in the next three months. I suggest our best Commander claim him. I hear Keras is homosexual, the boy will be perfect for him.”_

“ _Excellent. Romulus needs to produce more soldiers. With childbearing females now being discouraged to serve in the military, this will provide a solution to several problems. And you say they all have Vulcan blood?”_

“ _Affirmative. They were also born, how the Vulcans say, On-Kuvsu. It did not require much effort to make them fully functional. The hardest part was growing a birth canal and installing it, while convincing them that it was an appendectomy.”_

“ _They will only produce halfbreeds, but at least they will be tolerable ones. I find even Vulcans distasteful but at least they are kin to us... though inferior as they are. The human majority of their genes, I assume, will make them breed like tribbles?”_

“ _Yes, Sir. Unlike Romulan females, and our Vulcan kin, they will not go into heat one or thrice every seven years, but once a month.”_

“ _I will send word to Commander Keras of your... gift.”_

“ _I have a video surveillance feed that will interest him.”_

“ _I will send it along. He should arrive within a month with the supplies Kodos wants for his little colony. These experiments sound like a reasonable trade.”_

“ _They are, Senator.”_

“ _They had better be worth the trouble. Jolan Tru, Centurion Sianae.”_

“ _Jolan Tru, Senator Ternok.”_

Jim threw up. They were going to be slaves. Worse, they were going to be given to some Romulan Commanders as some kind of mail-ordered war bride. Jim felt sick. He meditated, slept, and tried every Vulcan mind technique possible to reach Spock. That damn Lexorin kept him isolated from Spock. Jim cursed his mother for what must have been the hundredth time. He knew if he fought her, his chances of escape would drop if she decided to find a worse cage to throw him in.

It was the next day when Kodos made the announcement that turn Tarsus into hell. He had gathered four thousand colonists of the eight thousand that were on the planet. Jim saw one by one his neighbors being rounded up. Jim followed them in secret. Kodos's voice would haunt Jim for many nights to come as he coldly stated, “For the colony to survive, some must die. All of you will drag down the stronger half who can survive this famine. Your sacrifice will be remembered.”

Kodos disintegrated all of them at once. Only shadows were left. Jim saw his mother break down sobbing in the kitchen. “Oh god! What have I done... I never should have come here... I should have– ”

Jim grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Get a hold of yourself! We need to get off this planet! Kodos is a butcher and that Doctor Hawk lady is a Romulan spy that's been helping Kodos with some illegal genetic experimentation on me and nine other kids. I'm going to be gift wrapped and handed to some fucking Romulan Commander to be his baby-making cabin boy!”

“What?!”

“You heard me. Instead of calling the Federation, he called the fucking Romulans to trade us for food. I'm not going. I have a life. I have a boyfriend and dreams of starting a family with him that _you_ interrupted. I've been trying make a warp capable shuttle, but I need help. Are you with me or not?”

Winona paled, and finally nodded. “Yes, I'll help you. Oh god I'm sorry I ever dragged you here! I just wanted my son back– ”

Jim cut her off. “Good. Now where do you keep that Lexorin supply?”

“Why?” She was defensive.

Jim grabbed her by the collar. “So I can flush it down the toilet, that's why. And _mom_...” Jim's voice became deadly and cold. “If you come near me with anymore hypos, I won't hesitate to give you to Kodos' death goons myself. I could have gotten Spock here sooner because of you. Four thousand people could have been saved.”

Winona Kirk cried again, sobbing uncontrollably. Jim had no sympathy left for her. People were dead, and kids younger than him needed someone they could depend on to get out of this hellhole, because if they didn't, they could expect a life of cooking Romulan Vilnerine barefooted and pregnant for their new Romulan overlords.

 

* * *

 

Jim crouched low in the bushes, his le-matya pelt, oogie-booger camouflaged him well in this jungle. The goons found the decoy tray he laid in the leaves. They laughed at the pathetic box and a string trap with a moldy carrot on a plate and a sign that read “free lunch for wabbits” in bright red letters. They didn't see the real trap around them. Jim rigged explosives. It did its job. The rest of them ran toward the sound to investigate while Jim raided their camp for parts and rations.

Nerve pinching the lookout was easy. Knowing that they were people and that his explosives probably killed them wasn't, but this was war. Jim quickly learned how ugly war's face was up close. It used to be ten of them. Henry got caught, and was shot. They thought he was on the list. Now it was just nine of them. Jim didn't count his mother. She was the only grown-up in their hide-out, and he didn't trust her. Jim then heard a bird call. It was his camp. Jim slunk away back into the foliage and disappeared. He made decoy trails in case he was followed.

Jim got back to the cave where his friends were hidden. Thomas Leighton sighed with open relief when he saw the dead le-matya's head come out of the leaves. “Captain! Thank god! We were almost found!”

Jim growled. “What? How? The minerals of the caves should have hidden us! We can't move caves again! We're too close to finishing!”

Little Kevin Riley came out and hugged Jim around his waist. “Captain! Winona's gone!”

Jim looked at Thomas, the second oldest of them and his second in command of their small guerrilla army. He elaborated. “She took one of our make-shift phasers, and went out when they came close to the cave. She lead them away from the cave and took them all out. They fired back. No one survived. She sacrificed herself to save us.”

Jim felt numb. The woman who gave birth to him was gone. She was with his dad now. In some strange way it was a relief. “Did she say anything?”

Thomas nodded. “She asked me to tell you 'Spock will be a great husband for you and a wonderful father for your children, just like George was for me. Go get him and don't ever let him go.' That's what she said.”

It took this living nightmare for Spock to finally get his mother's blessing. Jim wiped his tears on his dirty sleeve. Thomas hugged him. “Thanks Thomas... She was a freaking train wreck but she was still my mother.”

Jim looked around. The kids were tired, dirty, and hungry. Jim looked at their almost complete shuttle, the USS Stork. Jim took the final parts he needed to fix the replicator in the refurbished shuttle. With a bit of solder it was working again. No more rations at least. “Replicator's working again!”

It boosted moral a bit getting a hot meal that wasn't vacuumed packed. Jim was sixteen and the oldest. With his mom gone, he was suddenly the grown-up now. Jim found his PADD, the one his mother confiscated and gave back to him when she realized she fucked up. They worked day and night fixing this old piece of shit shuttle. It had crashed on the first survey of the planet when it was mapped, logs said the crew survived and left unharmed but they never went back for the shuttle. Thanks to his mother's help, Jim didn't need much left to do to get it up and running.

Jim's optimistic bubble burst. The comm buzzed with static and chatter and his listener adjusted the frequency a bit. He frowned at Jim. “Hey Captain! I just picked something up from our bugs in town. The Romulans are here. They're in orbit around the planet.”

“Shit.” Jim had to think. A Romulan Warbird could pick off their piece of shit shuttle easy. The only thing they had going was the ionized atmosphere that fucked up sensors. Tarsus had two and a half moons. The other half being scattered around the planet in a ring. “Okay men. Slight change of plans. We need to figure out where that Romulan Warbird is. If we can do that, we'll launch on the opposite side of where they are, cut the engines as soon as we exit the atmosphere and blend in with the asteroid field. It should cover us long enough to get into position and go to warp. Hopefully they won't chase us.”

“What if they do?”

“They're on the wrong side of the Neutral Zone. This is a Starfleet Shuttle. Turn on the distress beacon, send a Priority One message that you're under attack from a Romulan ship. Every Federation ship will come running. I'm going to try to reach Spock one more time.”

One of his boys scoffed. “Is that Vulcan telepathy going to work? It hasn't been working and you've been sitting and doing an impression of a lump on a log for weeks.”

Jim towered over him. “It will work.” Jim pulled up a picture of Spock's academy picture. He was overwhelmed by the amount of humans that wanted to shake hands and he looked adorably grumpy. “You see this sublime paragon of Vulcan sexy hotness? He promised that we'd make love together for the first time for my sweet sixteen. That didn't happen, he's overdue on his promise, and I'll be damned if I have wait any longer!”

Kevin squinted his eyes. “Your boyfriend looks constipated.”

“He's just grumpy here. Spock is the greatest lover ever.”

Thomas rolled his eyes. “Vulcans aren't exactly on many people's list of great lovers. Usually it's Orions. Most would put Vulcans somewhere on boring but not Ferengi.”

Jim gasped in mock offense. “You shut your blasphemous mouth! Vulcans make the best partners in bed! They're hot volcanos of passion on the inside, not cold computers they pretend to be. Here, wanna see what he looks like under the hood?”

Jim's comrades in arms perked up. No one had ever seen a Vulcan naked. Jim figured Spock wouldn't mind just this once considering the grim circumstances. Jim held up the PADD like it was Simba, and everyone beheld the best nude picture that Spock had sent Jim. It was Jim's favorite picture to rub one out to because it showed his face and those chocolate colored eyes burning with passion for him. Sweet wonderful Spock had relented and did that pose like the girl in that ancient Earth film Titanic like Jim had begged for. Sans a honking big blue diamond. This was made even better because Spock was fully erect and he was flushed a lovely shade of green.

“This is what I've got to look forward to. I'm getting out of here and getting back to him.”

They stared transfixed at the same beautiful view Jim's been getting for years. They had wondered why Jim insisted Vulcans were sexy. Now they did. Thomas's jaw dropped. “So the thing with the ridges... That was true?”

“Yeah, and guess what? Not a single one of us would be here if our shared Vulcan ancestor didn't find a human hot and had sex and have us many centuries down the road.”

One of the boys raised his hand. “Can we go to Vulcan now?”

Jim grinned. “Best damn thing I've heard all day. I'm going to make the last repairs and try one last time to reach him.”

 

* * *

 

Spock's eyes snapped open. The bond with Jim was active. He felt it. He went deeper into meditation. The door that led to his mind had a duranium-like barrier blocking it. It had a crack. Spock pressed a ear against it. It was Jim! He heard Jim calling to him, but it was distant. “Jim?”

“Spock! Is that you?”

The crack widened. “Jim, what is your location?”

“I'm on a planet called Tarsus IV. Spock, you need to get here fast! There's been a famine, and I'm being sold to Romulans as a live-in cabin boy-wife for some Romulan Commander's amusement! Governor Kodos killed four thousand people to stretch the rations out, and a Romulan spy offered me and other boys like me in exchange for supplies. He accepted. If the Federation doesn't get here before the Romulans do, they're going to take this place over! It has an ionized atmosphere that blocks communication.”

Spock felt fear course through him, and it threatened to overwhelm him. “Jim what happened? Who took you?”

Jim was crying with relief and sorrow. “My birth mother, Winona Kirk. She kidnapped me had been drugging me with Lexorin... She's dead now. One of Kodos' death goons almost found our hideout. She sacrificed her life so we wouldn't be discovered. There's other kids like me who've got a similar fate awaiting. The shuttle's replicator is the only source of food we've got and it's not even working that great. I'm trying to fix up an old Federation shuttle so we can get out of here, but life-support isn't working yet. I need more time and better parts!”

Spock tried to send comfort to Jim. “I will get there as fast as possible! Stay alive my t'hy'la. Survive. Use any means necessary.”

Spock awoken from meditation. His heart was beating abnormally, the bond was no longer being suppressed. He could feel Jim's terror, sorrow, and longing to see home again. Spock did not bother changing out of his sleeping robe and a pair of colorful socks Jim had made for him. He went straight to the bridge where the computer said the captain was located. When he came storming into the bridge he must have made a peculiar sight. “Captain! I know the location of Jim, my brother! He is on Tarsus IV, if we go now at maximum warp we can be there in approximately two days, eight hours and twenty-one minutes.”

Captain Pike glanced down at his pajamas and the bright purple socks with cats on them that Jim had made for him. “Uh, nice socks, Lieutenant... Now back up to the part where you think you've located your brother. We have been searching for two and half months, and we haven't found even a trace of the boy.”

“Our telepathic connection has been restored. It is no longer being blocked. The Lexorin drugs he had been dosed with has finally worn off. Please we must go immediately. Jim says that what is left of the colony will fall to Romulans. His life and his chastity are in danger. We must hurry.”

At the 'R' word the bridge froze, any humor the Captain had vanished. “Number One, who's the closest to Tarsus IV?”

“We are. There are other two other ships within four days.”

“Okay, send a message to Starfleet telling them that Tarsus IV is in distress and a Romulan threat could be waiting for us. As well as the possible location of the missing child of Ambassador Sarek. Now divert course to Tarsus IV.”

“Aye sir!”

The engines fired and they made their way. Not long after the message was sent, they got more news sent back to them. “Captain Pike! We have an incoming call from the Vulcan High Council.”

“On screen.”

Spock saw onscreen his great-grandmother, T'Pau. “Captain Pike... Spock. I have urgent news from Vulcan Intelligence.”

Pike nodded. “I have news as well. Spock says his telepathic link to Jim is working. He is on Tarsus IV, and they're being attacked by Romulans. We're on our way now.”

T'Pau's eyebrows shot up. “That is most distressing, but gratifying to find Jim's location at last. With the information I have, the Romulan presence takes a... disturbing turn. Here attached is a coded message into the Neutral Zone that Vulcan Intelligence has intercepted. It is Romulan and said simply, 'A gift for Commander Keras. Will this please him?' It is from a surveillance feed but we could not place where. I hope you are successful in retrieving him. Live long and prosper.”

T'Pau hung up. Pike gave the order to the play the video and Spock forgot to breath. There on some cafeteria table was Jim, surrounded by boys of varying ages but all appeared to be younger than him. Spock heard Jim's voice laughing. “Okay, Okay! I'm only going to do this one more time, alright? Then no more.”

Jim took a large popsicle similar to the one he used to eat at their favorite ice cream parlor, and Spock feared he did not fully control his reaction. Jim shoved the popsicle all the way down his throat and made the most obscene sounds as he sucked it, then pulled it out with the others applauding. “Holy shit! How do you do that Jim?!”

“Spock, I told you about him, bought me popsicles to escape Vulcan's heat. It was our daily route to stop at Le-sum-krim for ice cream. After so much practice my gag reflex is pretty much non-existent now.”

The video ended, and Spock felt like his insides grow cold. Pike turned to Spock with a raised brow. “You said his chastity was in danger?”

“Affirmative. Romulans are well known to practice slavery. Jim is both aesthetically pleasing and possesses no gag reflex. He will be highly prized.”

“And you helped teach him how to be really good at sucking... popsicles?”

Spock stiffened and his cheeks were lightly dusted with green. “It was not my intention.”

“Spock, go get some rest and that's an order. You've been pushing yourself too hard. You won't be any good to your brother falling asleep at the wheel. You've got the potential to be the best officer in the Fleet.”

Spock nodded. He had not properly rested since Jim was kidnapped. Tensions between Vulcan and the Federation grew longer the search was drawn out. The Federation was coming close to calling off the search and Vulcan was putting pressure on Starfleet to expand the search for Jim. They were Vulcan's only living t'hy'la pair, they were most reluctant to lose them. Spock did not tell his captain the reason for their cultural importance, and the consequences of what should happen if one of them were to perish.

 

* * *

 

Jim was dragged,beaten and defeated, to Kodos's mansion. It was supposed to be a surveillance mission, to figure out where the Warbird was parked. He failed. Jim knew Kodos' goons but the Romulan soldiers that must have beamed down during the planet's “thin phases” were different beasts entirely. Jim was outmatched. He would have to use his option of last resort.

The comm badge that belonged to the old crew of the USS Stork laid hidden in Oogie Booger's skull sending out a tiny signal that would be heard as soon as he leaves the planet. His shirt was torn and his now signature le-matya pelt was all that kept him warm. It was cold, and smelled like cheap air freshener and human misery. Kodos looked like he was at the end of his rope. “Samuel Kirk, you and your rag-tag group of lost boys has evaded my men for over a month, you even killed a few. They're calling you the Green Hellbeast after the pelt of that alien cat you wear.”

“You butchered four thousand people. Green Hellbeast sounds far better than Kodos the Executioner.”

“I killed them so the other stronger half can live. This fungus is the true enemy...”

“I bet the Romulans planted it. Wouldn't be surprised.”

Kodos looked pissed. “Planted it?! It's ruined everything! The Romulans were supposed to be here discreetly, unnoticed in assisting my research. A famine draws unwanted attention! This fungus has undid all of my hard work! How was I supposed to know that this strain hibernates for a century before becoming virulently active?!”

“You didn't plant the fungus?”

“No, it's native to the planet. Once every hundred years it comes like a plague of locusts. I could have continued my Eugenics research in peace. Tarsus IV could have been a base for a few Romulan scientists on this side of the Neutral Zone without any meddling from the Federation. Now all my hard work is ruined! At least I'll be able to escape...”

Jim hocked a good sized loogie in his face. “So you're not only a murderer but a traitor and a monster. Romulans are the enemy last I checked, and genetic engineering on humans was banned for a reason. There was a war about it, ever crack open a history book?”

“If the Federation gets here before the Romulans can rescue me, I'm destroying all loose threads. Do you understand, Mr Kirk? Tell me where the others are hidden!”

Jim read between lines. He and the other kids were loose threads. He couldn't have witnesses to the atrocities he committed. The colony at large never saw his face or spoke to him, the most of the ones that did were disintegrated or helped with the slaughter. Before Jim could tell Kodos to go to hell that Romulan bitch disguised as a doctor came in. “Kodos. Commander Keras is ready to beam us up.”

Kodos sighed with relief. “Oh thank god. We'll take this one to him. Get him cleaned up and presented to him.”

Jim started to panic. The Romulan doctor had a phaser at his back and he was being lead out first by that bastard Kodos himself. Kodos and his Romulan friends had won the race. He had no weapons, nothing sharp... Except for the le-matya he'd been wearing for years as a cloak. It still had both of its fangs. He causally adjusted his pelt and starting working one of the fangs loose. When he finally got one loose he ducked, spun and plunged the fang into her side. Her reflexes were quick and it only got her arm. The fang broke off into her skin and he saw green blood flowing like a river.

She punched him hard in the gut, with her good arm and ripped his favorite cloak off. She tucked it under her arm with a snarl. “No more tricks for you. Commander Keras is waiting for you.”

Fifteen minutes later he was cleaned, oiled, bedecked in gold jewelry and shoved into a gossamer white silk outfit that showed as much skin as it covered. He looked like a bride. He didn't want to cry or showed how terrified he was. He fought back and lost. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. Then he felt himself dematerialize as they were beamed aboard a Romulan Warbird. They all were greeted by Romulan soldiers. Jim's heart sank. Spock didn't get here fast enough.

As the ship materialized into view, Jim expected a Romulan ship to look like a lot of things. Intimidating. Miserable. Grey. Stinky. This were words one associated with Romulans. This was not the sight that greeted Jim. When Jim saw materialized on their transporter he wondered if there was some kind of mix up. Surly this couldn't be the Romulan Warbird that he had nightmares of for months? It couldn't be, and yet it was. The Romulans were unmistakable as was the Romulan Empire's insignia that they wore.

What he saw was bright fuchsia colored walls, vivid and bright. Frames and bulkheads were painted bronze, pulling back the outrageous fuchsia so the two balanced. The raptor that symbolized the Romulan Empire hung boldly had a planter with little yellow flowers and lime green leaves hanging from its claws. It smelled faintly like jasmine, and from what Jim knew of ships, it probably kept the stale air smell at bay. Jim had to give credit where credit was due; the Romulans had a decent interior decorator.

A Romulan came sweeping in, and by the medals on his uniform and how the others treated him, he had to be this Commander Keras. Jim did a double take because this man resembled Sarek. For a moment he almost thought it was his adopted father here to rescue him. Jim almost called out to him but there was no look of recognition his face. This wasn't Sarek. The Romulan woman pushed Jim toward him. The Romulan Commander took one look at Jim and then back at her. “Is this a joke?”

Kodos smiled, but it was fake. Jim could smell his fear. It overpowered the flowers they had in planters on the walls. “Umm, Commander? Sir? Centurion Sianae said you wanted a male concubine that can bear you children. She said that in exchange you can give my people supplies to survive this famine.”

The Romulan Commander looked at Kodos like a stain on his boot. “Why not ask your Federation for help?”

Kodos paused. “I don't want them discovering my research on Eugenics. I thought Romulans might be... more agreeable with views that some people find too radical. After much trouble my men and I finally captured him.”

The Romulan Commander hissed at him, bearing his teeth. “Do not insult me. I have been kept up to date on this fiasco that was Sianae's project on Tarsus. For thirty-three days you were outwitted by less than a dozen children and you expect me to be impressed by your failure? It was my soldiers and my commands that caught this one. Not you.”

The Romulan Commander ordered one of soldiers while giving Kodos a dirty look. “Sub-Commander, beam him back to his fortress. The Federation can deal with him when they eventually get here...”

Kodos screamed. “But Sianae said that the Romulans would help get the Federation off my back and supply my colony! My research! They'll hang me!”

The Romulan Command had no pity. “Then so be it. The Romulan Empire will not take responsibility for this. It was your colony, given to you by the Federation, and therefore your responsibility. You had adequate resources available to call them for help, but instead you did not and worse, you have dragged me and my people into this.”

Kodos disappeared in a beam of light as the transporter took him back to the mansion he was trying to flee. The Romulan Commander gave his Sub-Commander another order. “Prepare a photon torpedo, make appear like an old Federation construction, and set it to overload and then beam it into Kodos's fortress.”

The Sub-Commander raised a brow. “Why not just use our plasma weapons to destroy his fortress? It would far quicker and our knowledge of Federation weapons is dated.”

The Romulan Commander bared his teeth at him. Jim knew why. He couldn't help but open his big mouth. It was an awful habit of his. “Umm. Don't shoot me, but I think I know why.”

The Romulan Commander paused, as if looking at him for the first time. He probably didn't realize until now that Jim could understand Romulan, a dialect to Jim wasn't hard to master since it was similar to Vulcan. The guy even had the same raised eyebrow as Sarek. “I am curious. Speak child.”

Jim took a deep breath. “Umm, because Romulus and the Federation have a cold war with each other. If the Federation thinks Romulans have something to do with the hell that Tarsus turned into, it could escalate into a bloody war that would make the Romulan Government look really bad and cost Romulan lives.”

Jim saw stunned faces and continued digging his grave. “I'm no expert on Romulan ships, but energy weapons leave distinct traces that vary between who make them. Phaser fire on Kodos's house would leave Romulan fingerprints. An explosion from an old photon torpedo tube would look like Kodos had some antique weapons, not out of character for what else they'll find about the guy since he has a boner for Eugenics. What's left of the colony's been calling him Kodos the Executioner. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a human child.”

The Romulan Commander looked both surprised and impressed. “Ah. You see, Sub-Commander? This _boy_ understood my strategy whereas you did not.” He narrowed his eyes at his underling. “I am still uncertain if it speaks of his intelligence or yours.”

Looking distinctively cowed, the Sub-Commander slunk away to carry out the order of blowing up Kodos's tacky mansion... With him and what's left of his death squad with him. Jim honestly wouldn't shed a tear. Not after weeks of fighting those assholes and seeing them kill his mother, and his friends.

The Romulan Commander looked at the Romulan woman, and Jim. “Centurion Sianae. With me... And bring him.”

Jim was shoved along and taken to what looked like the man's bedroom. Jim became terrified. When the door was locked, the Commander glared at her, ignoring him completely. “Sianae, explain to me why the Praetor ordered me to risk going across the Neutral Zone to retrieve you. Explain to me why your little project is worth courting a war with the Federation that we cannot afford right now.”

Sianae interjected. “Commander, my project has yielded results that others may be interested– ”

“Enough! I will hear no more. You are stripped of your rank. You and the soon to be retired Senator Ternak acted alone and without the blessing from the Praetor. We will be fortunate if we avoid war with the Federation.”

“But the Earth people are weak! You have seen one of their colony Governors, this Kodos. We can win!”

The Commander rolled his eyes at her. “More death, more war for the Praetor's glory! What you seek will claim even more Romulan lives. I grow weary of sending perfectly good men to die, and your solution is to give them altered humans to birth half-breeds that our people will shun.”

Jim tried not to snicker, but it felt so good to see his worst enemies being chewed up and spat out. Kodos was about to burn and the doctor who was his right hand in his horrific experiments had gotten fired by her boss. Sianae growled at him. “I made you a concubine that can bear you children. A _male_ concubine. He is my greatest masterpiece. He is young and pleasing to the eye. I thought you would love this gift, instead you spit at me!”

The Romulan Commander pointed to Jim as if he was a dirty mangy mutt his kid dumped on his new carpet. “What am I supposed to do with this boy?! He has proven himself to be far more capable and deadly then you, a trained Tal Shiar operative, and you want me to _take him to my bed_?! This child made weapons from toys and garbage! He outwitted grown trained men with better equipment! I do not want someone so dangerous loose on my ship, much less access to me while I am sleeping!”

Sianae curled her lip at the Commander. “Since you refuse to lay with your wife, or even an ordinary Romulan whore, to bear you children I thought it simple a simple solution. All you have to do is stick it in, drop your seed and pull out. When you are done, throw him in the brig or keep him in a cage until the urge strikes you again.”

The Romulan Commander curled his lip. “And I thought romance was dead.”

Sianae groaned. “Romance? You want _romance_?! What else do you want? All the stars in the night sky?”

Jim suddenly felt awkward being in the middle of this conversation in what felt like a married couple arguing in their bedroom. The Romulan Commander looked close to strangling the woman. “Why is romance such a tall order? I am a creature of love and passion! You are the same as so many Romulan women I have met; men are sexual conquests to be had and tools to rise through the ranks with! No love! No camaraderie! Only an endless quest for power!”

“I did this because the Romulan Empire needs its best commanders like you to stop playing dig-for-mushrooms with their own men and come home to their wives to do their marital duties! Have you seen the birth rate?! It's low because you and those like you won't put out! If you won't fuck your wife, then at least fuck this concubine I slaved over to make! You like men, well here is one just for you that can at least make some useful soldiers for the Romulan Empire!”

The Commander's lips twisted with disgust. “Men, Sianae.” He corrected. “I like men and the strong bonds between warriors who are devoted to each other and their beloved Romulus.” He pointed to Jim again. “ _This_ is a human child you ripped from his parents, and twisted with your experiments, all to insult me!”

“Romulus needs new blood, more and more children are being born with deformed foreheads and fertility is dropping. Not to mention the Empire is in disarray since that Nero warned us of-”

The Commander cut her off. “This is not how we save our people! I have my pride as a Romulan, where is yours?”

She was turning greener and greener, and she was struggling more and more for breath. That was when Jim realized something. The le-matya that Jim had carried with him for years since he was a little kid had a little venom left in his bite after all. The same le-matya who had killed a friend of Spock's had now killed an enemy in protecting Spock's even more precious friend. Le-matya venom had no cure. She was a dead woman walking. The Romulan Commander looked at her. “What is wrong with you?”

“I feel... I think I've been poisoned... My nerves are on fire...”

Sianae looked at her arm where Jim had stabbed her with the old le-matya fang. It was swollen and was turning a sickly shade of rust and green. “You!” She snarled at Jim. “What did you do to me?!”

Jim smirked. “You know that le-matya pelt I wore all the time? The one that gave me my signature look? It looks like that old beast had some venom left in him after all. Le-matya venom has no cure by the way.”

Sianae spat at him. “Damn you Samuel Kirk!”

“That's another thing, that's not my name. My real name is James T Kirk.”

Something in her clicked. “No... You're the child they're all looking for.”

The Romulan Commander's eyes widened as he studied Jim's face. He picked up Sianae by the collar and slammed her into the wall. “You fool! You've damned us all! He is the t'hy'la-bonded child Vulcan has been relentlessly looking for! You have brought death to my ship!”

The Romulan Commander dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. “Your experiment has been a disaster from the beginning. Senator Ternak ignored my warnings, and now I am proven right. Centurion Sianae, you are hereby charged with treason against the Romulan Empire. If you somehow survive the night, I will order your execution myself.”

The Romulan Commander called for the guards, and pointed to her when they came. “Take former Centurion Sianae to the brig. She will spend her last hours contemplating her life and her death. Get her out of my sight.”

“Yes, Commander!”

Jim watched the Romulan soldiers drag off the bitch that caused Jim and his friends so much misery. She screamed and cursed the Commander's name. After what she did to him and his friends, it was what she deserved. Kodos was burnt toast in a house of ashes and Sianae was as good as dead. Jim was relieved in a way. However, he wasn't sure how to react, being alone in the bedroom of the Romulan Commander who apparently was as disgusted by what happened on Tarsus as he was. The same Romulan Commander he was trussed up like a bride for. A Romulan that was into men judging from the wall art of muscular ancient Vulcan warriors wrestling naked that he had in his bedroom. “What are you going to do to me?”

The Romulan Commander sighed as poured himself a glass of Romulan ale. He then turned to speak to Jim for the first time with almost kindness. He really looked like his adopted Vulcan father, Sarek. It was surreal. “I'm not going to force myself upon you if that is what you are worried about. Nor do I plan on killing you. Your t'hy'la, that Spock, will hunt me across the galaxy if I do. Would you care for some Romulan ale?”

Jim shook his head. “No thanks, I'm not old enough to drink.”

Jim's stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten all day. The Commander simply looked at him and went to his replicator. “Jumbo Romulan mollusks. Platter for two.”

The replicator dinged and he carried a platter of something that smelled a whole lot like Great Aunt T'Pell's Vulcan Mollusk to a private dining table. Jim peered closer at the Romulan Jumbo Mollusks, but instead of the Vulcan variety of curled up tentacles in Rhombolian butter it was large lobster like creatures with similar tentacles draped over the bed of rice. It made Jim wonder at how much of their Vulcan ancestors the Romulans retained. The Commander put a red spice on it and Jim could tell by the smell that it had to be Vulcan red spice. He held his hand out to the empty chair across from him. “Please, have a seat.”

Jim sat down and eyed the food suspiciously. He saw the Romulan Commander take a few bites from the platter and it being a shared plate dropped the chances of it being poison if he's eating from the same plate. As if sensing his thoughts he commented, “It's not poison. Unlike most replicated foods. This one is my own recipe and I season it with non replicated spice to hide the off-taste most replicated foods have.”

Jim pick up the fork and took a bite. He closed his eyes and a moan escaped. The first real good meal he had in weeks. “This is amazing! It's so much like my Great Aunt T'Pell's Vulcan Mollusk.”

“Jumbo Romulan Mollusk was said to be one of many things my ancestors took with them when they left Vulcan. I am curious what my people have in common with our cousins.”

Jim shoveled more in. “Well this Red Spice is the same as on Vulcan. I really can't tell that this is replicated, and Vulcan Mollusk is one of those foods that just doesn't replicate well. This is really good.”

He smiled faintly and took a few more bites. “Thank you. I'm glad someone appreciates my cooking.”

Jim looked around the room. “You do the interior décor on this ship too?”

He nodded. “The original was grey. I did not like it so I changed it. My men seem much happier with it. Sianae hated it of course, said it ruined Romulus's image.”

“Well, I like it. And the flowers work wonders on freshening the air on this ship. I hate the chemical air scents they sometimes put in the air recyclers. Not to mention a few plants here and there can really take a lot of strain off life-support systems. It's pretty clever.”

The Romulan Commander seemed genuinely pleased. “You are the first outside those who serve on my ship to notice that. Most think it was an aesthetic choice.”

Jim shared a smile with him. It was jarring, for a moment Jim forgot this man was a Romulan. Jim had to remind himself that this warm, friendly man was not Sarek. “So why are you being so nice to me? This some kind of last meal? Or am I prisoner?”

The Romulan Commander's smile faded a bit. “I thought it obvious. I can neither kill you nor keep you. I am left with no choice but to let you go. I can assume the Federation and your t'hy'la are on their way here... A Federation distress beacon was sent off not too long ago. The source is bouncing off the asteroid field making it hard to pin point, but it is on the exact opposite of our position... Curious that it happens to be in our blindspot and that it keeps moving as we move.”

Jim nodded and smirked. “My men... The boys that bitch Dr Hawk, or Sianae as you called, that was altered. I fixed up an old Federation shuttle and told them to launch and get out of this hellhole if I didn't come back. Your men caught me and I went with plan B.”

He narrowed his eyes. “So there is a signal coming from this ship. One you planted.”

Jim's smirk widened into a shit-eating grin. “On your buddy Sianae. I turned it on after I got caught. Tarsus's atmosphere shielded it, but once I was taken here it started working.”

He looked something like a mix between horrified and amazed. Like Spock whenever Jim showed off his popsicle trick to him with the giant green Vulcan banana flavored ones. “You planted a homing device...”

Jim locked gazes with the Romulan Commander. “Yup... And if you shoot them, you'll be killing innocent boys your whatever Sianae was had fucked over. I'll know. As you said, you can't kill me, and you can't take me prisoner without pissing off Vulcan and the Federation. From what I've heard, Romulus has some internal problems that it can't deal with on top of a bloody war. I may be at your mercy right now, but you're at mine. If I die, so do you.”

They stared at one another, like an old skilled le-matya sizing up a young upstart in his territory. “I have you outgunned, but you have us locked in a political stalemate.”

For a moment Jim didn't know what this man would do next. Then he laughed and looked at Jim with his dark eyes glittering with keen interest. “You truly are a remarkable young man! Perhaps Sianae was right after all, you would make an excellent consort. She was so distracted by your exotic features that she looked over that exceptional mind of yours.”

Jim blushed. He was flirting with Jim. He had seen that look in another face like this Romulan's. Sarek looked at Amanda quite often with that expression and it usually followed an order to take Pooh-Bear for a walk so he could whisk his wife to their bedroom. Jim swallowed a lump of fear lodged in his throat. That same look was directed at him. Jim glanced at the bed not more than five feet away. “Umm, I'm happily married to my t'hy'la, Spock and we promised that our first time having sex would be with each other. I'm flattered, really but– ”

The Commander looked affronted. “You are not my type. You are too scrawny, and too young for me. I doubt you could lift me an inch off the ground much less carry me to my bed and conquer me like a true warrior. I want an experienced love-devil to ravish me, not a sweet virgin to despoil.”

Jim deflated from relief. He almost laughed. If he wasn't so terrified he'd laugh. The big bad scary Romulan Commander that scared his crew with a single look was a bottom. He wanted to be the one that got swept off his feet and wooed and taken care of. “So you're a little spoon.”

He even had the same eyebrow raise as Sarek. “I am unfamiliar with that term.”

Jim wanted to laugh, and he couldn't help but crack a grin. “You know in bed when you've got someone sleeping behind you with their arms are wrapped around you and you're snug against his chest? That's called being the little spoon. The other guy is the big spoon.”

The Commander laughed. It was surreal to see a man who looked so much like Sarek laughing. “Yes, that would describe me! I suppose I am a little spoon!”

Jim couldn't help but smile and chuckle. “Our relationship would never have worked, what with us both being little spoons.”

The Commander wiped a tear from his eye. “I fear so, James T Kirk. A shame really, your talent with popsicles had given me pause.”

Jim groaned. “Ugh! I'm never living that down! This is weird in so many ways... I mean, I almost called you Sa-mekh when I first saw you. The resemblance between you and my Vulcan foster father is spooky.”

The Commander tipped his head, and looked at him curiously. “Oh?”

“Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan. I swear you two could be twins, you even have the same voice.”

Jim could see the Romulan making a mental note to look him up. Sarek was a famous public figure so that'd be easy to do. Jim wished he could see the look on his face when he stared at a Vulcan mirror. Looking at the two really hammered home the fact that Romulans and Vulcans used to be one people, separated not by biology but culture. The Commander smirked. “I suppose it is good you are not my type. I do not like being called 'Father' by my lovers. It makes sex far too awkward.”

Jim laughed his head off. “Yeah, no thanks. I'm not that kinky... but if I had to call anyone my sugar daddy it'd probably be Spock since he's been spoiling me rotten since I was a toddler.”

It was strange laughing with a _Romulan_ of all people like they were old friends. Jim couldn't help but be curious about the earlier exchange. He sensed some serious relationship issues going on. “So umm, that woman... Sianae? Was she like some crazy ex-wife or something? I'm just curious.”

He shrugged. “In a few hours when that venom hopefully finishes her off, she will be ex-wife number four.”

It was worse than Jim thought. “Wait, you guys weren't divorced?”

The older man scoffed. “I wish. Romulan law requires all men in the military to be married. Those from high clans like myself have their marriages arranged. I kept annulling my marriages after managing to avoid them during my rutting time. Then finally my father said that this time it was to be for life or I am exiled... And to stop escaping from my marital duties.”

He brought up on a screen the faces of four Romulan woman, with the last one Jim was familiar with but it showed her before her surgical alterations to appear human. She looked far harsher with pointy ears and brows. “I give you my four wives. War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. Each as manipulative, ambitious and selfish as the last. As the son of the Praetor and grandson of our late Empress, I am nothing more than a tool to climb up in the ranks. They did not love me.”

Jim really felt for this guy. “Yikes. Isn't there a guy you can marry? If you prefer men than you shouldn't be forced to marry someone you don't love.”

“I cannot change the rules. Romulus used to allow homosexual relations, even celebrated it... but over time it became unfavorable and finally taking someone of your own gender as a spouse was forbidden. I can take as many male lovers as I want but if they cannot bear me children, I cannot take them as wife nor can they take me as a wife. With my high status, it is not proper to be submissive to a male of a lower rank, so finding willing lovers to take me like I wish is a far more difficult task.”

Jim winced. His heart went out to this guy. “That really stinks. You deserve to be loved and you shouldn't have to settle for anything less. If you don't like the rules, why not change them? You know, cheat?”

He blinked. “What do you mean?”

Jim smiled. “If game feels rigged, then it is. It would not be logical to play fair. In my experience Vulcans make fantastic lovers.” Jim then winked. “I know Spock, my t'hy'la makes a wonderful big spoon.”

The Romulan Commander tipped his head, and looked completely baffled by the concept. “I heard our Vulcan cousins were cold. They cast aside their passions for the cold comfort logic. I even heard rumors that they only mate once every seven years...”

Jim snorted. “Oh my god you could not be more wrong! They have to have sex or die once every seven years, but some will mate with far more frequency and have a less painful Pon Farr as result. Believe me I lived with them. What you and I call sex they call 'physical meditation'. It's a polite way of saying fucking the bottled up emotions out with their mate. They're volcanos, not computers. Once they find a mate they can trust, you have a loyal and strong lover for life. Oh and I hear the telepathic orgasms are a religious experience... I should know, my foster parents aren't exactly silent.”

The Romulan Commander seem to seriously consider it. “I had not thought of Vulcans being an option...”

Jim heard of some Vulcan men with a preference for other men. “If you don't mind their pon farr, they're great to have. They repress their baser emotions and as a result are driven to procreate with someone of the opposite sex once every seven years. I have a t'hy'la bond, so Spock doesn't have to worry about keeping a wife, he can just have me without problem. Other gay couples on Vulcan don't have it so easy.”

The older man sighed wistfully. “I am envious of you. My ancestors left Vulcan because our passions while destructive forged t'hy'la bonds and we could not give that up... Now it seems it is as rare on Romulus as it is on Vulcan. I have heard the stories of our ancestral homeland, of warriors sharing strong bonds both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. While the old world had Sylar and S'Vaksur, S'Chn and T'Gai. Romulus had great generals like Hyla and S'Ten and warrior poets like Jarok and Galon.”

Jim cracked a smile. He really couldn't hate this guy. He was a history nerd like Jim. “Or Alexander the Great and Hephestion. Famous warriors and lovers in Earth's history.”

“Indeed? I should like to hear of them someday...” The Commander's smile disappeared and then Jim saw an aching loneliness and longing for a connection that he had seen a few times in the mirror on his features, especially these past few months on Tarsus with a head numb and empty of Spock. “You and I are of a kind, James T Kirk. I regret we had to meet like this. In another time and another place I could have called you friend.”

Jim shook his head. “I don't know. It could've been worse ways to meet. I could have been the captain of an enemy ship instead of some kid one of your people plucked from a dying colony.”

The Commander smiled at that. “That is quite true, James T Kirk...”

Jim had to admit that the evil Romulan Commander that haunted his nightmares wasn't all that bad. He was even a nice guy. “For what it's worth I'll call you a friend... Commander Keras, was it?”

Keras nodded. “Keras is my name. You need not be formal. You have earned it.”

Jim stuck out his hand. “And you've earned the right to call me Jim... Keras.”

Keras raised a brow but shook the offered hand.He smiled at the unlikely friend he found in a human boy of all things, but he was reminded that he could not keep the boy. Not if wished to avoid death. “I wish our people could find peace... but it is not our way. We cannot be friends.”

Jim raised a brow. “Maybe our people can find peace? You and I found some common ground.”

Keras shook his head. “Doubtful. We Romulans are set in our ways.”

“Well, if there's any chance they can find peace, take that chance. I was supposed to be captured long ago and look how long I held out against Kodos and your bitch-wife. I only lost because you showed up.”

Keras smiled. “You moved like a sorcerer. I hope we never meet at a battlefield.”

“Same here. I'm still holding out hope that we can be friends someday... And maybe I'll take that drink you offered when I'm old enough.”

Keras's eyes brightened at the prospect of sharing a drink with his most unlikely friend. “I will hold you to that promise. I will have you beamed to the shuttle in orbit if you wish. It would be easier than trying to get though the atmosphere of Tarsus.”

Jim nodded. “Sure, let me send out a message telling them of our truce. I take you have a way of fleeing back to the Neutral Zone unnoticed?”

Keras nodded. “I do.”

Jim felt worried for his new friend. “If you get caught by a Federation ship what will you do?”

Keras was silent. “I have my orders. Leave naught but shadows of fire and memory.”

In other words, suicide. “Who was your wife that they would risk the live of you and your crew and a ship?”

“She is of the First House of Romulus. She knew secrets of the Imperial Family and the government. Extract her quietly or kill her if the former is not possible. Thanks to you I am freed of my marriage to her and the failure to conceal our presence in Federation territory is the fault of Kodos and hers. I am blameless. I only violated the Neutral Zone treaty to punish a criminal who violated far more of your laws and mine.”

Jim grinned. Years of having a diplomat as a foster father gave him insight on how politics work. “And by letting me go and treating me all nice and sparing me from a life as a Romulan slave-boy, you ensure that word gets out about the noble Commander Keras of the Romulan Empire.”

Keras poured himself another ale and toasted to Jim “Noble Keras who stopped Kodos the Executioner and Sianae the traitor who conducted unholy experiments on innocent human children. The Federation will thank me for saving the day and Romulus will thank me for saving their asses from this embarrassment...”

“...And everyone agrees that this never happened and no Romulan ship crossed the Neutral Zone nor did a Romulan spy genetically alter boys to be breeding slaves for Romulan Commanders away from home.” Jim finished for him.

Jim knew how this would be spun. “Kodos killed half the colony because of a famine, and selected people to live or die based on his twisted ideals. No one will know why nor will they care that Federation ships came early to the colony, only that they did. It'll go down as a horrific massacre and a tragedy and no one will look at the Romulans twice. War between our people is avoided.”

Keras downed his glass. “I will drink to that. Four thousand of your people are dead. Why should we add more death with another Federation-Romulan war?”

Lying was illogical. That's what Vulcans always said. In this case, it was one of the few times where it was logical. “Yeah...”

They sat across from one another in silence. Jim felt a connection with this man. They really were of a kind. It was sad that he couldn't get to know Keras more. Keras gently lifted Jim's chin. “My friend... Rejoice. You will be going back your Spock soon. No doubt he will be eager to reclaim you.”

Jim smiled at that thought. “He did promise that we'd finally have sex and take each other's virginity. I had to bully him into it though. I know the guy desires me but he thinks I'm still too young.”

Keras's eyes glinted with amusement. “I see... Your lover is a shy one. You look plenty old enough to take a lover, but you lover is also inexperienced. Is that why he hesitates to claim you?”

Jim sighed. “You got that right. He'll kiss me, and sometimes we'll watch each other masturbate but he won't go any father because he says I'm too young. I'm sixteen, I'm horny, and I have needs. I once made a video fingering myself and begging him to take me and I sent it to him. I know he desires me.”

Keras was astonished. “And he didn't come running to claim you?! I knew Vulcans denied their passions, but this is unhealthy. Jim. Some advice from an experienced man who has had many male lovers with... similar anatomy to Vulcans. There is a technique we Romulans call 'digging-for-mushrooms' that I recommend.”

Jim was intrigued and edged closer. “Go on...”

“It is a way of making a man fully erect and fully unsheathed. First you gently insert the first two fingers of your hand into his sheath. Spread them like a V around his penis and stroke the shaft and the underside of the second ridge. Use your palm to rub the head. I promise a young virginal man like this Spock will swell up and beg to mount you like a rutting seh'vet. Be warned, you must blunt your nails and soften your hands with oils or lotions before hand. A man's sheath is quite sensitive.”

Jim perked up with interest the more he heard and saw the visuals Keras made with his hands. “Keras... You are the best, and I'm so sorry we have to part so soon. I wish we could talk longer.”

Keras nodded and smiled warmly at the promising young man across from him. “I too regret that our time together is so short. Were you ten years older, I might have been tempted to seduce you... Alas, another male has made his claim on your heart.”

Jim blushed. A man who could be his foster father's twin was totally flirting with him! “Ah. Well, there's always other fish in the sea. If I ever find a single big spoon that can sweep you off your feet I'll send him your way.”

Keras chuckled. “That would be much appreciated. Come, we will message your shuttle and beam you too them. A Federation ship is no doubt on the way and I must be long gone before then.”

Keras had Jim send a message to the shuttle. Jim heard one of his men inform him that Kodos's mansion has been destroyed as has all of Sianae's lab. Jim hoped Kodos was burning in hell now. Jim was escorted to the transporter and Jim looked at Keras sadly. “I guess this good-bye, Keras.”

Keras nodded. “Regretfully so, Jim. May we meet again as friends.”

Jim surprised the older man with a hug. “Promise me that if you get caught on this side of the Neutral Zone, you'll try to talk your way out of it instead of blowing up yourself and your ship. You can even call on me to be a character witness. I know people.”

Keras relaxed and hugged him back. “I will do my best not to get caught.” He paused. “Another piece of advice. I find that shy lovers often need to be reminded that there are always rivals. If he has any of our shared ancestors flowing in his veins, then he will not tolerate a rival male making an attempt upon his intended and will make his claim clear.”

Jim raised an eyebrow. Before he could ask, Keras pulled Jim against him and pressed his lips against him. It was a chaste kiss, but the fire burning behind them was clear. Jim then understood. Keras was trying to help Jim by making Spock jealous. Jim could feel something in his bond twinge. Keras pulled away and winked. Jim smiled at Keras and waved him good-bye as he dematerialized.

Thomas didn't believe that it was Jim at first, but then after getting caught in a tractor beam by the Romulan Warbird, scared shitless, Jim materialized on board. Jim's lost boys cheered and they hugged him, astonished that he was alive. Kevin sobbed and hugged Jim. “Captain! You're alive!”

Thomas's jaw dropped. “How?!”

Jim grinned. “Long story short, Dr Hawk fucked up big. The Romulans didn't give her permission to do the shit she had done to us and she's been arrested for treason and is being executed if she survives the poison I injected into her. I negotiated a truce with the commander. We keep our traps shut about them being here, blame it all on Kodos, and tell the Federation that bitch was a Romulan criminal on the lam that Kodos hired.”

Thomas Leighton, the doubting Thomas, narrowed his eyes. “Why cover for those bastards?”

Jim stood over him. “Because it would start a war and even more people will die. Let the Romulans slink back across the Neutral Zone with their tails tucked between their legs. The Commander is letting me go because Vulcan will go to war over me and destroy them while they're already up to their pointy ears in problems.”

Thomas relaxed. “You grabbed them by the balls and squeezed hard.”

Jim nodded. “Yeah, I did.”

“You're a crazy genius, Captain.”

One of Jim's lost boys sitting at the conn gasped. “Hey look!”

“What is it, Ben?”

Ben pointed at the planet below where there was huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space. Jim grinned. It was Kodos's mansion and soldier barracks... Along with Sianae's lab where she modified them. The only evidence of the Kodos genetic experiments were the nine of them. “Kodos is dead! The Romulan Commander beamed him back to his god-awful mansion and bombed it! It's all up in ash and smoke now...”

Jim and his lost boys started weeping. It was over. Kodos and all of his goons were gone. They were free and they could go home. The sound of the transporter made them all jump. For a second they feared they sent a soldier to kill them. It was a basket with its contents wrapped in a fuchsia cloth. “Is it another bomb?”

“Have the Romulans changed their mind about killing us?”

Jim was the only one brave enough to look inside. It was a bottle of Romulan Ale and a note attached, at the bottom was a box with Romulan Jumbo Mollusks still hot from their replicator and seasoned with real red spice. Jim smiled. Keras was a real sweetheart. Jim picked up the note. _“To my friend, Jim. If our people can never have peace and if we never meet again as friends, here is a drink on me regardless. Your fellow little spoon, Keras.”_

Jim looked at the bottle and whistled. “Praetor's Imperial Reserve! This is the good shit Uncle Frank had wet dreams of! Damn, I'm saving this for my wedding day with Spock.”

One of the boys recognized the label. “I heard that stuff is the smuggler's white whale of Romulan Ales. Getting that across the zone is impossible. That Romulan Commander must really like you. What'd you do, blow him?”

Jim giggled. “Nope. I killed that Romulan bitch, Dr Hawk. Turns out she was his wife. He hated her. I bet he's throwing a party right now. It was toxic relationship, and he's far too good for her. He's a sweetheart and he deserves someone nicer.” Jim eyed the box of food. “Anyone want some of the Commander's Jumbo Romulan Mollusks? It's his own recipe.”

They all shook their heads and stared at Jim in shock. Thomas's jaw hung slack. “You got captured by Romulans and not only did you escape, but you killed their Commander's wife and now you're best friends with him.”

Jim nodded. “Yup.”

Ben smirked. “I guess they don't call him the Green Hellbeast for nothing. Our Captain's a crazy genius!”

Jim froze. His pelt was back on Keras's ship. It was then that Jim noticed a second note at the very bottom of the basket under the box of food. _“Jim, as you have probably realized by now, you left your le-matya pelt here. My men say it looks fetching on me, so I think I shall keep it. If we meet again you are welcome to try to best me to win it back.”_

Jim groaned. “That sneaky Romulan bastard took Oogie Booger! Argh! That was my kan-telan gift from Spock!”

Jim looked out view screen and looked at the scanners. Good for his word Keras took his ship and left. Jim laughed and grinned. He really hoped that they didn't meet again on a battlefield. If one Romulan wasn't so bad, then maybe others weren't as well? Jim hoped that maybe there would be someday be peace, Keras seemed like a really nice guy and Jim could not help but feel a kinship with the man.

Under different circumstances they could be the best of friends. But Jim was human, Keras was Romulan. A friendship between enemies would be difficult at best, but Jim held hope that maybe the start of peace between their people was found here today. Jim was looking forward to winning his favorite pelt back from his Romulan friend and sharing a meal with him and talk about sex with him someday. Jim laughed at the weird thought of having a Romulan for a friend.

Jim was about halfway through his Romulan Mollusks before giving his boys one last offer to finish the rest. They all refused, except their youngest member, little Kevin Riley, who was the only one brave enough to touch food made by a Romulan and eagerly finished it off. Jim couldn't blame him. None of them had been eating well for a long time. Their replicator barely worked and the food it made stunk, but it kept them from starving. They were desperate for a decent meal, but apparently only Kevin was desperate enough to eat what the Romulans gift-wrapped. Unlike Jim, they were not willing to give a Romulan the benefit of the doubt.

Jim made the final calculations to the nearest Federation outpost. The shuttle's communications were fucked up by Tarsus's native life so there was no calling anyone for help. Jim was about to make one last check on their systems and go to warp when he felt his bond flare up and spread itself open. Spock. Jim looked out the view screen to see a Constitution class ship drop out of warp. Jim jumped for joy. “Spock's here!”

 

* * *

 

Spock felt Jim the moment they dropped out of warp. It was magnetic the way Jim's katra pulled at his. The helmsmen shouted, “Captain Pike! There's a Starfleet shuttle in orbit! The USS Stork! I'm reading nine life signs aboard. All human.”

“Hail them.”

“Their communications are down... I'm not sure how it's life support systems are even operational sir. It's a miracle its even intact.”

Spock's breath hitched by the sight of the USS Stork floating in orbit. It looked barely functional with unconventional jury-rigged repairs that had Jim's markings all over it. Spock could feel Jim was on that shuttle, his t'hy'la's katra pulled unyieldingly at Spock. He forgot to breathe for a moment as the feeling of Jim's katra sang to him like a siren's song. Spock could not help but appreciate the poetry of Jim being delivered into his arms by yet another stork. “Captain. Jim is on there.”

“How do you... Never mind. Vulcan telepathy?”

Spock stared, transfixed by the battered shuttle floating in endless night. He nodded, never taking his eyes off the shuttle. Spock's whisper was ragged. “Yes. I can feel him. He is alive, and he is happy. He can feel me as I can feel him.”

Pike nodded. “Use the tractor beam, bring the shuttle aboard. Mr Spock?”

Spock managed to tear his eyes away from the shuttle. “Yes, Captain?”

“Report to the shuttle bay with the medical and security teams. Go check out your baby brother the stork has just dropped at our doorstep.”

A smile slipped past his controls. “Thank you, Sir!” Spock paused as he saw the bridge stare at the emotion of joy he displayed. “I apologize. I displayed emotion.”

Pike smiled. “As you Vulcans say, the cause was sufficient. Go on, and get me a full report. I wanna know what the hell happened.”

Spock rushed out the bridge and headed eagerly to the shuttle bay. His muscles thrummed with energy, his nerves buzzed with anticipation of the reunion of the other half of his katra. Spock ignored Dr Boyce, and Ensign Hanson's speculations of what was in the shuttle. When the shuttle door open a vision stepped out from it. Jim! T'hy'la! Dressed in white silk like a bride upon the day of koon-ut-kali-fee. Spock ignored protocol the moment their eyes locked and Jim smiled with tears of joy streaming down his beautiful face. “Jim!”

Spock ran to Jim and hugged him tightly, Jim sobbed into his chest. Spock ignored the stares, and the medical team swarming around the other children aboard the shuttle. Spock sniffed, and smelled the distinct scent of another male. Possibly Vulcan. _Or Romulan,_ his mind supplied. Spock suppressed the savage possessiveness that threatened to appear. He could not smell sex on Jim, and Jim seemed fine, but still his state of dress and the scent of a rival male bothered him.

“Spock! God I missed you!”

Spock held onto Jim tightly, his fingers digging into Jim's back, unwilling to let go of this precious thing the stork delivered to him. “I have noted your absence as well. I am relieved that you are well, Jim.”

Dr Boyce cleared his throat. “I'm happy that you're reunited with your brother but we need to take these boys to sickbay and get them checked out. My scans are reading signs of malnutrition.”

Spock nodded. “Affirmative. Jim, come. I will escort you.”

Jim remembered something. “Hold on, let me get my stuff.”

Spock raised an eyebrow at the basket with contents covered by a bright fuchsia cloth. The basket looked generic enough but it fit in the style of ancient Vulcan and some Romulan design. Spock made a note to rifle through the contents as soon as possible. All thoughts of violating Jim's privacy fled when Jim became nervous upon stepping into the sickbay.

Spock saw the other boys that came with Jim appear similarly nervous. Dr Boyce gave them a basic scan with his tri-corder. Except for malnutrition, insomnia, stress, and a few scratches and bruises they were all fine. He did note high levels of a female hormone more common in Vulcanoid species. Spock did not need a tri-corder to tell. He could smell it. As a Vulcan male he was quite sensitive to the pheromone of a Vulcan female.

The bioscans revealed a birth canal that had been implanted and slight adjustments made to their muscular and skeletal structures to take a high amount of damage... Such as from a Romulan, _or a Vulcan male_ , in the throes of passion. Dr Boyce revealed that what was supposed to be a vestigial and inactive organ was not only fully functional but made more effective. Spock swallowed. Vulcan and Romulan females ovulated infrequently in cycles of once or thrice every seven years, from what Spock was seeing, Jim would be quite fertile. The primal part whispered temptingly that Jim could easily bear his children. Spock stuffed that thought in a box to examine logically later. “Jim... What happened down there?”

“That's what I'd like to know.” Dr Boyce commented. “These readings... The only other places I've seen these are with homosexual male couples that wanted kids. The procedures for male pregnancies has some risk, but I admit the work done here was flawless. Who put them in?”

Jim shuddered. “We were altered by a doctor without our knowledge. We were picked out because we had the same Vulcan ancestor and the auxiliary Vulcan uterus we inherited from him... I have a... Well it's hard to say. I try to pretend it doesn't exist most of the time, but right now it is starting to throb.”

Dr Boyce looked at the charts. “Throbbing? You mean the artificial birth canal? I'll take a look make sure everything is hunky dory and see if it can be removed... I warn you that once they're put in, they're hard to remove.”

Jim looked at Dr Boyce hesitantly and clammed up. “I'd rather not.”

The old doctor sighed wearily. “Son, I've been practicing medicine for over thirty years. I've seen it all. If you are in any pain, show me where. I won't be shocked.”

Jim scooted away. “No way. You're a stranger. I would prefer Spock be the one examining me. I trust him. After getting surgeries done on me without my consent I'm a little leery of trusting any physician ever again.”

Dr Boyce sighed. “I understand, and I am truly sorry a doctor had done that to you. I, like every doctor and nurse here, took a hippocratic oath and I take mine seriously.” The doctor handed Spock some gloves and a bioscanner. “Spock, here are some gloves and a basic scanner that even a first year cadet can use. Use your best judgement when examining your brother. Scream if you need me.”

Dr Boyce pulled a curtain around the biobed, and gave them some privacy. Jim blushed as he looked at Spock. “Well, I'm ready for my exam... Nurse Spock.”

“Very well. Please strip and spread your legs.”

Spock blushed at how suggestive those words were. He firmly reminded himself that he was only examining Jim for injury. Jim's blushed deepened and he stripped out of the dress he was wearing. Spock visibly tensed. “Jim! You are naked.”

“That's the idea. I thought you were examining me? You've seen me naked before. It would be illogical to be shy about it now.”

Spock's voice had a slight stutter. “Of course. Please relax... and show me where you feel the... t-throbbing sensation.”

Jim scoffed. “I should be the nervous one here, not you. I'm naked and I've got my legs spread out in front of my boyfriend.”

Spock's cheeks were dusted green and he had to remind his lower extremities that despite having his t'hy'la laid out naked did not mean it was time to relieve sexual urges. No matter how arousing the sight of it was. Jim was nervous, Spock could feel it. Jim was self-conscious about showing him the alteration, Spock could feel the thought, the fear in Jim's mind that he would no longer desire him. “Jim... Your fears are illogical. You are my t'hy'la. The only emotion I would possibly feel is anger toward the one that altered you without your consent. I will never think less of you.”

Jim gave a weak smile and took a deep breath as he laid back and spread his legs for Spock to examine. Spock could smell the pheromones enveloping him like a dream and the slight scent of a rival that sang of conquest, urging him to claim what was rightfully his. It no longer felt like a clinical examination. It was a rediscovery of Jim's body. His lover's body. Spock had seen splayed out many times in passion, but never was he to touch... Until now. “So... the throbbing you feel is down there.”

Jim nodded. “Yeah... Uh, examine away... Nurse Spock.”

Spock swallowed. It was illogical to feel fear. This was Jim. Just Jim. The sickbay filled with music from one of the nurse's PADD. As Spock recalled, they listened to the classic Earth music channel to soothe patients. Spock could not honestly say the song currently playing soothed him. Perry Como singing Temptation was very apt for the situation laid before him. _“You came, I was alone. I should have known, you are temptation!”_

“Surak's grace be with me.” Spock prayed.

Spock's eyes glanced at the penis he had seen Jim pump furiously while chanting his name. Jim's breath hitched when Spock's fingers made contact with it. It twitched happily at Spock in greeting. “Here?” Spock asked.

Jim squeaked. “No. Down a little more.”

Spock let his fingers drag down. Testicles that he saw Jim fondle with a laugh in many of their illicit comm calls... “Here?”

Jim shook his head. “No. Closer.”

Spock's heart race. There? Once he had seen Jim stick his fingers into his hole. Spock's orgasm had left him shaking... Oh Surak help him if he had to touch Jim there... and not mount him like an animal. Spock's brain halted by the sight of a new discovery. The orifice that laid tucked beneath his sack was entirely new. Spock reached out with a single gloved finger, a mere centimeter from it. He could feel the heat from it, and moisture glinted from it. The sweet scent that called to his Vulcan blood emanated from it. “Ah. This?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah, that's where I feel... a weird throbbing.”

Spock's blushed deepened as he prodded it, and felt it give some resistance. Jim gasped. Spock recoiled. “Jim! I apologize! Did that hurt?”

Jim shook his head. “No. It didn't hurt... Keep going.”

Spock gazed softly into Jim's volkaya colored eyes. They were dark with desire, and Jim was already half-hard. Spock could see the foreskin retracting, revealing that pink head of that alien organ of his. Spock was in no better condition. He continued, and probed a little deeper. It pulsed around the digit and Spock cursed the gloves he was wearing. “Jim. I am going to remove my gloves. I believe they are impeding my effectiveness in your examination. Is that okay?”

“Yeah! That's fine!” Jim breathed out. “Y-you can add more fingers if that'll help.”

Spock nodded. “Yes. I will use two fingers. Logical.”

Spock removed the gloves and gladly cast them aside. Spock hissed as he could feel the heat and moist walls of Jim's hole welcoming his fingers. Jim gasped. “Jim? My fingers are not too cold are they?”

Jim shook his head. “No! They're hot. Really hot.”

“It is not painful?”

“Not at all. Keep going Spock.”

Jim's penis was fully erect and leaking pre-cum. Spock fought the urge to rip his pants off and claim his mate. This new hole welcomed him eagerly and he breathed deeply the sweet scent that called to him. Ah. That sweet Vulcan flower that bloomed seldom more than once every seven years. Jim had a Vulcan keshtan-ur, and it was flowing with nectar meant to attract a male when fertile. Spock could mate him now and fill him up with his child...

Spock's suspicions were confirmed as he felt the undeniable ring of muscle as he probed deeper and it involuntarily clamped down around his finger. It was seeking to lock with a male's swollen ridges and milk as much semen as possible from him. Spock's erection throbbed in his pants as he knew Jim had a perfect place inside him to lock them together. Spock could penetrate him and spill his seed for hours and hours without separating. Jim was gushing with that sweet nectar. “Oh fuck.”

Jim's eyes widened. “Spock? Did you curse?”

“Affirmative.”

Jim licked his lips. “What's the verdict? Am I good?”

Spock numbly nodded, and his eyes rolled back as Jim's passage sucked sweetly around his fingers. “Yes... Very good.”

Jim smiled. “Perhaps you should check some more. Just in case.”

Spock found that very agreeable. “Yes. Just to be sure.”

Spock pulled his fingers out. He did not know why. It was an instinct he was having a difficulty suppressing. He tasted Jim's nectar that was on his fingers and sucked clean the sweet taste of Jim that was on the digits. The chemical cues seemed to turn on some primitive switch in Spock. The savage beast all Vulcans kept contained screamed. Fertile. Mate. Claim.

Spock saw Jim spread his legs wider, silently begging to be claimed. Spock dove between his legs and tasted the sweet nectar gushing out from his hole. He took Jim's erection in his hand and pumped as his tongue lapped up every drop he could drink. Jim bit his lip keeping his moans back. Jim's sweet wet passage clenched and gushed as he climaxed. Jim's seed spilled into Spock's hand.

Dr Boyce's voice called out from the other side of the curtain. “You okay over there? Sounds like you're having trouble.”

It was like a cold bucket of water. He was in the sickbay. They were not alone. “We are fine, Dr Boyce. Jim is... just feeling uncomfortable being examined so... intimately. The bioscans read as healthy and Jim is just needing to get used to the new... orifice.”

“I can try to remove it.”

Jim shouted immediately. “No! It's fine! I think I'll keep it! Why take the risk with complications? It would be illogical, right Spock?”

Spock gulped and he was certain that his voice had a squeak to it that he had not had since it started changing in his early puberty. “Yes. Illogical. It is healthy. No need for its removal.”

Jim smiled and licked his lips at Spock. “Thanks for examining me... Nurse Spock.”

Spock was sure he trembled. “Thanks are unnecessary.”

Jim nodded and whispered into Spock's ear. “I want that big beautiful Vulcan cock in me like you promised. Now.”

Spock could not. Not now and certainly not here, but oh the temptation! No. Spock firmly stamped down that delectable thought of claiming his t'hy'la. He was only sixteen. Too young still. “No, Jim. We cannot. You are sixteen. In one year, ten months and sixteen days I will be allowed to consummate our bond.”

Jim groaned and flopped back down. “Dammit! I'm so fucking tired of waiting and being told I'm too young! For the past three months I had to be the only fucking adult. Do you have any idea how many nights I spent thinking of you and being afraid I'd die before we could have sex?”

Spock's cheeks burned with shame. He crossed a line. For Jim and his own sake he had to step back. “I apologize, but we are not allowed. It is not yet the right time. If we mate, it would cause trouble because of your age.”

Jim glared at Spock and after a moment he relented. “Fine.”

Spock relaxed somewhat. “Captain Pike needs a full report on what happened on Tarsus IV and is particularly concerned with your message to me that mentioned Romulans and the purpose of these alterations.”

Jim pulled away. “Waiting sucks.”

Spock reached out and caressed Jim's fingers in a Vulcan kiss. “After my shift ends, we can join our minds together as one... And perhaps make-out?”

Jim found himself smiling, unable to turn down some hot kissing from Spock and curled his fingers around Spock's. “You have a deal.”

Jim hopped off the biobed and got dressed in some clean clothes a nurse laid out. Spock silently lamented seeing him cover his beautiful body. Jim picked up his mysterious basket and left with the other boys with a security officer. Spock swallowed and excused himself to the bathroom to do something he had not done since the last time he and Jim had a moment alone together. After a few quick jerks into his hand behind the locked door, Spock washed himself and exited, refreshed and composed as the stoic Vulcan he was supposed to be.

 

* * *

 

Captain Pike called Spock and Jim in for a private conference in his office. On Pike's desk was the mysterious basket Jim had carried along with its contents. An illegal bottle of the most expensive brand of Romulan Ale shone bright blue one the desk and next to it were notes from a Romulan man named Keras.

Both of the men stared at Jim in utter shock at the story of the horrific events on Tarsus IV. From how his mother kidnapped him, drugged him, the mysterious hypo injections and “appendectomies” from “Dr Elisa Hawk” to the famine that turned the colony from a somewhat nice place to a living hell. Jim's month-long war against Kodos, seeing people die, getting captured and then watching his worst enemies get taken out by the Romulans, whose arrival he had feared. Then finally, the astounding truce and friendship he sparked with the Romulan Commander he was intended to be a sex slave for in exchange for supplies.

“So that's it. Keras, good for his word, didn't kill us and went home.”

Pike pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus... _Winona_ is dead.”

Jim pursed his lips. “Yeah, my mom was a real basket case but in the end I saw what kind of decent woman she could have been. She sacrificed her life so the rest of us could hide from Kodos longer... Did you know her, sir?”

Pike had moisture in his eyes before wiping them away. “Yeah, I did. I was friends with her and your father back in the Academy. They were amazing... God, you really look like George.”

Jim stiffened. “I was told that a lot. Looking at me hurt my mom.”

“I'm sorry.” Pike said earnestly. “But I think your father would have been proud of you. What you did here was astounding. You achieved something that even some of the most well-trained officers in our fleet would not have been able to do. You held your own against a Romulan spy and a colony governor with his own private army with what? Tinker toys? Junk?”

Jim had a wiry smile. “Stuff found here and there. I stole a bunch of fertilizer and parts from busted hover cars to make land mines. Used one of those fake babies they give out in parenting classes to record my voice and used it as a decoy. Got a bunch of Kodos's death squads that way.”

Pike laughed. “They had phasers and you beat them back with cowshit and dolls.”

Spock knew well of his t'hy'la's resourcefulness. “At VLA, he made popular a game he called MacGyver that has caught on at the Vulcan Science Academy. Particularly with the engineering disciplines.”

Pike raised a brow, unable to believe that he heard that right. “MacGyver?”

“The goal is to create a device that can be necessary for survival, like a communicator, a phaser, a replicator or essential parts of a starship like the warp coils, with only randomized materials at hand. It is a practical and logical game, and therefore popular with my Vulcan peers. It originated from a vintage Earth entertainment program.”

Pike laughed at the image of Vulcans watching Earth television and making a game from it. “So young Mr. Kirk here, had been trained for just this sort of scenario. This whole time it really was a game to him.”

“Affirmative. Although to be noted, children's games are often training for aspects of adult life.”

Pike pinched the bridge of his nose. “And he managed to have a friendly conversation and make a truce with the one of the Federation's most dangerous enemies; the Romulans. Do you have any idea how badly this situation could have gone?”

Jim nodded. “Tarsus could have been the Archduke Ferdinand of our century between us and the Romulans.”

Pike looked up. “You study history.”

“And politics from our father, the Ambassador Sarek. Jim is most studious.” Spock commented.

Jim smiled. “I'm a total nerd. It's why I fit in better on Vulcan than I did on Earth... Though I think Sarek had been hoping I would be Spock's aide when he took up the family tradition of being an ambassador to Earth. I think we know how that turned out. Spock joined Starfleet instead. Sarek was _pissed_.”

Pike shook his head and smiled. “I can only imagine what an angry Vulcan looks like. My god! You, sixteen year old human kid, held your ground against armed mercenary troops and a Romulan Tal Shiar agent for _over a month_ using guerrilla warfare tactics with cowshit and tinker toys. Not only that, but were taken on board a _Romulan_ ship as a prisoner. Then you had dinner, shared jokes, and _befriended_ the Romulan Commander you were going to be the sex slave to and negotiated a truce to avoid a war and your own release.”

Jim shrugged. “I guess that's one way of putting it. Though to be fair, Keras knew I was more trouble than I was worth and he was tired of war and didn't want another one.”

Pike was dumbfounded. “In the history of the Federation, _never_ have we been able to make any progress in opening diplomatic relations with the Romulans. And you befriended not just any Romulan but a high ranking one.”

Jim shrugged again. “He mentioned his father being the Praetor and grandmother being the Empress or something... Would explain why his dad kept setting him up with snobby entitled bitches. Poor guy had one god-awful marriage after another to women he's just not in to. I hope he finds a nice man, one who will love him for him and not as tool to climb up the social ladder. Keras deserves so much better.”

Pike laughed. “My god, this is what I'm talking about! No one is _friends_ with a Romulan. How did you do it? He could have killed you, I mean you were a witness! I can bet good money the Romulans did not want witnesses to their presence on Tarsus. Why let you go? We checked for transmitters and the like on the stuff he gave you. There was nothing.”

Jim smirked. “That's just it. Sianae's project was an embarrassing failure and she was the wife Keras _hated_ having. As I said, I stabbed her with a le-matya fang and she's probably dead by now. I saved Keras the trouble of killing her himself, and with her failing to capture me, a mere human child, I made a fool out of her and the Romulan's proud secret police she was trained by. They want this swept under the rug and pretend it never happened.”

Spock raised a brow. “So you had done him a favor, and he let you go in return?”

Jim shook his head. “No, because he's smart. If I died, he knew that you would hunt me to the ends of the universe. He's heard the story of Da'Kum'Ulcha and the Romulan Empire is having too many internal problems to deal with pissing off Vulcan and the Federation.”

Pike straightened up. “What kind of problems are the Romulans having?”

Jim shook his head. “Not sure. That bitch mentioned fertility problems. I'm no expert but getting into a war when your population is on a decline is a bad idea. From the impression I got, I think the issue is a social one. I mean, hey, if I had a wife like her I'd stay in the military as long as possible and play dig-for-mushrooms with my men too.”

Pike raised a brow. “Dig-for-mushrooms?”

Jim blushed and smiled. “Romulan slang for a sort of... It's really not for polite company, sir. It's pretty vulgar.”

Pike's fingers steepled together. “Given how little information we have on Romulan culture, the Federation will take any tidbit no matter how vulgar.”

Jim sighed. “Okay, you asked for it. Digging for mushrooms is basically a hand job you give a guy by sticking your fingers in his sheath and playing with his dick to stimulate it and make it erect.”

Spock tensed beside Jim. Pike was beet red and asked Jim, “This Romulan didn't give you a demonstration, did he?”

Jim shook his head quickly “No! Keras just told me about it! Don't worry, the man was a perfect gentleman. Honestly the guy was so charming and polite! He didn't do anything untoward to me while we talked and had dinner together in his bedroom.”

Spock tried to keep down that dark savage emotion called jealousy. Jim was charming and radiant. He drew others to him naturally and without effort. At first he had been afraid that the Romulans would violate him. The scent of a male's pheromones on Jim troubled him. Spock realized now that there may be a far worse possibility that he did not consider: that this Romulan Commander would be charming and Jim would be taken with him. Spock found this to be most unacceptable. He growled, unable to keep the jealous rage entirely suppressed. “Jim, you had dinner with a stranger that was openly homosexual in his private quarters and accepted his company with ease. Did you engage in inappropriate sexual behavior with this man?”

Jim looked at his so-called husband. “What are you getting at Spock?”

Spock bristled. “I am merely concerned that perhaps his interest in you is more than friendship.”

Jim smirked as he saw that Keras may be on to something. Spock was jealous. “Well, I am told that I am aesthetically pleasing.”

_You are that and more,_ Spock thought. Spock suppressed the jealousy that threatened to emerge. Pike spoke up. “Jim, I think your brother is a little concerned that you essentially got in a car with a strange man and ate the candy he offered.”

Jim glanced at Spock and grinned. Time to poke the flames of Spock's jealousy. “Weeell... I have to admit, Keras was a handsome guy, as handsome as Sarek. I mean, his face was definitely one that Amanda could fall head over heels with. Good thing Keras is gay, or Sarek would have competition. I hope I can have dinner with Keras again, he knew loads of fun stuff! Maybe we can meet up on a neutral planet somewhere and hang out... You know in the interest of fostering _friendly_ relations with Romulus.”

Spock grew truly concerned by the information that this Keras was as handsome as Father. Any man who Mother would find handsome is most troubling data indeed. And worse, Jim was expressing interest in discussions of a sexual nature with this interloper. A possessive growl ripped from his throat. “That speculation will be unnecessary because you will not be seeing him again.”

Jim stared at Spock. “Why? Are you jealous?”

Spock would not be baited. “Jealousy is an emotion.”

Jim crossed his arms “And next you're going to tell me Vulcans don't get jealous. Good thing. Keras was a pretty good kisser, but that doesn't make you jealous does it?”

Spoke stood up and towered over Jim. His chair clattered on the floor. “He kissed you?!”

Jim noticed the way Spock's voice became deadly even, and his warm chocolate brown eyes darkened to pitch black. Jim could feel it. Spock was jealous. He was a big pointy eared mess of rage. Jim nodded. “On the transporter, when he beamed me back to my shuttle. He was quite romantic and he's _experienced_. I bet if I wasn't spoken for he wouldn't think me _too young_. He's not afraid of passion or expressing it.”

Spock pulled Jim against him, and Jim felt their groins pressed tightly and he could feel the heat searing where their bodies connected. Spock's nostrils flared, his dark eyes bored into Jim's. “You wish me to express my _passion_?”

Pike looked awkwardly between the two. “Um are you two okay?”

Jim blushed and remembered they weren't alone. “Yeah, we're fine. Nothing you need to worry about. Just a lovers tiff. My so-called husband and I are just having a small disagreement.”

Pike's eyes widened and zoomed straight at Spock. It was like a light bulb turned on in Pike's head and a few missing pieces fell into place. “Lieutenant? I thought you two were brothers?”

Spock shrank in his seat. “He is my t'hy'la sir.”

Pike stared. “And what does that mean exactly?”

Spock, like his father, had a talent for dancing around issues he had no wish to discuss. “Translation would be difficult.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “T'hy'la means friend, brother, and lover. The loose translation being soulmate. Spock and I are also engaged to be married but among Vulcans that label pales in comparison to sharing a t'hy'la bond. T'hy'la pairs are very rare and are cherished almost to the point of deifying them.”

Pike glared at Spock. “He is your fiance? You neglected to tell me this.”

“Bonded.” Spock corrected. “We had a kan-telan ceremony when I was twelve and he was six. More than a betrothal and less than a marriage. Its sole purpose was to acknowledge our sacred t'hy'la bond... It caused a rift between my family and his birth mother, Winona Kirk. She disapproved of our relationship and did not understand that our bond was permanent and unbreakable. It was because of the abuse and neglect Jim suffered from his uncle that my parents were granted custody, as I was underage at the time. Legally, by Earth laws, we were foster brothers. On Vulcan we are t'hy'la and are acknowledged as such.”

Jim winced. “My mom thought Spock and I had an unhealthy relationship, that I was too young to have found my soulmate. Vulcans have a saying: Kaiidith. What is, is. Spock and I were destined to find one another regardless of circumstances. I wish my mom knew that sooner.”

Spock found Jim's fingers reaching toward his, and boldly Spock met his fingers in ozh'esta and felt the spark between their connected fingers. Jim loved him. “I have observed that most humans disapprove of child marriage ceremonies, and because of how they have reacted to that aspect of Vulcan culture, something done out of necessity, I chose to not divulge that information. Few Vulcans would were it not pertinent information. I calculated a seventy-six point eight percent chance that you would forcefully attempt to separate us because of Jim's youth. I cherish my t'hy'la, and I do not wish to have him taken from me again simply because he is seen as too young to be my mate.”

Pike's fingers were steepled to “Telling me that Jim was your spouse, sounded pretty damn important. I'm not happy about this.”

Jim looked like he was about to cry. “Are you going to separate us?”

Pike looked at them and their connected fingers and sighed. “No. I'm not that cruel. I don't care what two married people in clearly in love do behind closed doors. Lord knows that Jim here has had to be more of an adult than a lot of people on this ship. The way I see it, if Jim is old enough to make life or death decisions with lives other than his own, than he should be old enough to make decisions about sex.”

Pike gave them a fatherly smile. “Besides, sixteen is about the age teenagers are exploring that aspect of life. After the hell you've been through, Jim, you should do fun kid things like fooling around with your boyfriend, fiance, husband, whatever. Go have fun. Be a teenager.”

Jim smiled and kissed Spock on the cheek. Spock gasped and blushed. Pike pointed a finger at them. “But! I don't want any hanky-panky with your fiance interfering with the function of my ship. I want you two to see Dr Boyce about safe-sex practices, and get checked over before and not do anything stupid. Other than that, do whatever the hell you want, just do it on Spock's off hours. Clear?”

A rare smile slipped past Spock's Vulcan controls. “Yes, sir!”

“Good. You have six more hours on your shift, return to your post Lieutenant Spock.”

Spock looked at Jim and opened his mouth to say something to the Captain, but Pike cut him off. “Yes Spock, you can give Jim a tour of the ship. I am aware of his records at the Vulcan Learning Academy and his plans to join Starfleet when he graduates. If he promises to not get in the way I can promote him to temporary Cadet Kirk. It'll be at least a month before we can reach Vulcan because of the many stops we have on our schedule, so until then he'll be under your command, Lieutenant.”

Pike reached into his desk, rummaged around for something and had an aha moment. Pike tossed a Starfleet cadet badge at Jim. “Welcome to the Enterprise, Cadet Kirk.”

Jim beamed and put on his fancy new badge. “This is so cool! I'm working on a starship! Spock this is a dream come true!”

Spock allowed a small smile to appear on his face. “Indeed, t'hy'la. This will be a most rewarding experience for both of us. Come, I will show you to my quarters where you will be staying.”

“No hanky panky! You're on duty Lieutenant!” Pike called out.

Jim giggled and dragged the happiest looking Vulcan Pike had ever seen out of his office. If he hadn't heard from from his friend, Phil Boyce, about what he had heard those two do behind a curtain, Pike would have laughed if stoic all-work-and-no-play Spock said he was married to that loud and illogical young man. Pike wondered if those two knew that they were casting shadows against that curtain or that the entire sickbay heard Spock giving Jim the hottest pelvic exam outside a holoporn.

 

* * *

 

Spock and Jim felt relief and a tremble of anticipation when Spock's shift ended. Jim loved the ship and threw himself into helping Spock with his duties. It was like two cogs fitting together, sliding into place easily. Or with their telepathic link, as two halves of one brain finally reunited with the other half.

With their telepathic link, their bond hummed with contentment and silently they anticipated the other's needs. Spock no longer needed to leave his microscope to attend to the incubating samples. Spock need only think _“Sample thirty correlates to sample twenty's molecular structure.”_ And Jim dutifully wrote it down in his PADD. With Jim's mind connected to his, Jim could see what he saw, and offered new perspectives to old problems. Spock estimated that his work efficiency with Jim at his side doubled.

Spock saw the many stares of his fellow shipmates with Jim glued to his side and their arms possessively clinging to one another. Spock heard someone whisper, “they're so creepy” from them as he and Jim communicated solely through their bond. Jim's urge to angrily retort was suppressed by Spock's calm logic of _“we have work to do, my t'hy'la”_ and Jim calmed down. Spock mental touch was like soothing water on the volatile flames of Jim's mind. It was for the reason of Jim's emotionalism that Spock clung to logic. Balance must be maintained. Jim has enough passion for two. Passion that Spock felt vividly through their bond.

While Jim was a great help to his work, he was also a hinderance. Spock counted thirty-seven times Jim shifted his legs and Spock could almost _feel_ that new orifice pulsing and calling to Spock. It did not help Spock's concentration that he could smell Jim's body putting out a distracting amount of pheromones indicating his fertility and readiness to mate. Spock had to recite Surak's principles seven times to avoid ripping Jim's clothes off and mating with him in front of the entire crew. When Spock had almost lost his logic, leaning over to smell Jim, his t'hy'la brought him back from the brink of losing it completely. _“No, Spock. As much as want your magnificent Vulcan dick in me, we promised the captain no sex until the end of your shift. Logic now, love-making later.”_

Now that they were approaching Spock's quarters to take their evening meal and retiring, thoughts of passion returned. The primal urge to claim Jim and consummate their marriage was as an itch that he could not scratch sufficiently with mere logic. Jim's scent, his smile, and the way his posterior wiggled oh so enticingly, all called to him. There was no longer any logical reason to not mate with Jim. By Vulcan law Jim was his to claim, and Captain Pike expressed no objections despite Jim's youth. Most importantly Jim was begging to be claimed and fully mated to Spock. Spock could finally join physically with his t'hy'la and claim him as his fully bonded mate. Now they were at the threshold of his quarters.

The door swished closed behind him. Spock commanded, “Computer. Engage privacy lock.”

Jim wasted no time and husked all of his clothes off and dove onto the bed with amazing grace and speed. Spock swallowed. Jim was naked. Jim was on his bed. Jim was ready to mate. Surak help him. Spock could not keep himself from trembling and he walked toward the bed where his naked and eager t'hy'la waited. Jim looked Spock up and down. “Spock? You're not wearing all that to bed are you?”

Spock looked down and realized he was still in his uniform. “Ah. Mating requires the removal of clothing.”

Jim snorted and stifled a giggle with his hand. “Uh Spock? That's kinda the idea. Come on! Take it all off, mister! Tonight's the night we go all the way and I'm not waiting anymore!”

Spock, in his eagerness to mate with his t'hy'la, fumbled rather clumsily in removing his clothing. His undershirt got stuck briefly when yanking it over his head. He tripped and stumbled as he attempted get his pants off. Jim laughed. “Here, the pants will be easier to remove if you take your shoes off first.”

Spock's cheeks tinged green with embarrassment as Jim helped get the rest of his wretched clothing off. Jim looked Spock up and down with an appreciative look in his eyes. “You're much better looking in person. This is so much better than a comm screen.”

Spock nodded and felt his cheeks heat up. Jim laid back and patted the bed. “Well? What are you waiting for, Spock? I'm all yours. Claim me.”

Spock gulped. Logically he had no reason to feel fear and yet he was terrified. Jim erased his fear with a gentle touch of his fingers against the back of his hand. “Hey, I'm supposed to be the nervous teenage virgin here, not you.”

Spock looked down with shame burning his cheeks. “I am 22.26 years old. I am not a teenager.”

Jim laughed. “And yet I feel like the experienced one here coaxing you out of your shell.”

Jim's smile faded as he saw and felt how nervous Spock was. “Hey, if you want to do it now, I can wait. This is supposed to fun for both of us. The two of us finally having sex and being real husbands. No longer intended, but real bondmates.”

Spock snapped up. “No! I want to mate with you!” The very idea of stopping now seemed as blasphemous as using Surak's writings as toilet paper. “I truly do, my t'hy'la... But I am concerned that I will not physically please you. I am inexperienced in these things. I may not be adequate.”

Jim kissed the tips of Spock's fingers, sending heat down his spine and into the pleasure centers of his brain. He stared up at Spock with those volkaya colored eyes burning with desire. “I'm a virgin too, you know, but that doesn't matter. I wanna touch you and be touched by you. I don't care if it's sloppy, as long as it's you I'll find you more than adequate. Trust me.”

Spock was filled with Jim's emotions. Love. Trust. Joy. Comfort. Desire. Jim was not embarrassed by him and wanted Spock as he was. Spock felt a spark of confidence surge through him and crawled onto the bed. The Starfleet standard mattress dipped slightly as he hovered over Jim. Spock reached out and touched the side of Jim's face. His mind sparked at the contact but he would meld later. Spock wished to explore his t'hy'la's body. He started with the neck he would mark later, stopped briefly at the dusty pink nipples that hardened into pebbles at his touch and moved down past Jim's navel. Jim moaned as Spock's fingertips finally reached his already hard cock.

Jim sat up and dragged Spock's hips toward him. He reached between them and caressed Spock's stomach and a slid a single finger down his sheath where lubrication was already seeping out. Jim asked, “May I? You know, touch you here? I wanna try something.”

Spock nodded eagerly. Jim wasted no time and inserted a finger and Spock gasped as he felt it graze his lok. Jim, emboldened by Spock's reaction inserted another finger and stroked Spock's hardening lok and he rubbed the underside of his ridges. It never hardened so quickly before and his lok sprang out from his sheath. Spock was already panting. “Jim! That was... I have never felt that before!”

Jim smiled. “Wow, I take it I was good?”

Spock nodded. “Affirmative.”

“You can thank Keras. He called this digging-for-mushrooms.”

Spock narrowed his eyes to slits. “Cease talking of my rival while we are mating.”

Jim grinned. “Ooo! You are so jealous. He was right!”

Spock raised a brow. “Explain.”

“Keras kissed me to help me win you, to make you jealous and realize what hot piece of tail I have and isn't being claimed. I guess we have him to thank for this night.”

Spock bristled at the idea of thanking his romantic rival. “I would rather not.”

Jim giggled and brought Spock's hand to his face. “Spock you hot Vulcan mess you. I would never have sex with Keras. Look into my mind and see for yourself.”

Spock did so, a shallow meld and from Jim's mind was Father wearing a Romulan uniform. Question marks floated in Spock's brain. “Jim? Why is Father wearing a Romulan uniform?”

Jim giggled. “That's not Sarek. That's Keras.”

“...”

Jim laughed harder. “Remember when I said Keras has a face Amanda could fall in love with?”

Spock found it psychologically disconcerting that his rival looks like his father. “Ah. I understand. You stated Mother's likely infatuation because this man has physical resemblance to Father. However, for some reason the fact that this man has more than a passing resemblance to my father does not comfort me as it should.”

Jim kissed Spock soundly on the lips, a kiss which was warmly received. “Don't worry, no one holds a candle to you. Not even charming Romulan Commanders that look like Sa-Mekh. I intend to make you my first and last.”

Spock smiled. “My intentions are the same.”

Jim leaned back and spread his legs open and invited him warmly with a smile. “Well, Spock? You get a choice of two holes now, you lucky Vulcan you. How do you wanna claim me?”

Both holes had appeal, but the new one was leaking a perfumed nectar that was singing to the beast within him that was supposed to only emerge once every seven years. Spock felt a primal urge to thrust his lok in and pump his t'hy'la's fertile womb with his seed. Jim blushed, and he must have sensed his thoughts. “Dr Boyce gave me a morning after-pill to take tomorrow. So you can... You know... Fuck me so hard my hole will be leaking your cum for a week and we can decide on consequences in the morning.”

Spock could fill his t'hy'la with his seed now and make logical decisions later. It was like the last gate had broken and whatever shred of logic Spock had was thrown out the airlock. Jim was pinned to the bed as Spock pounced on him. Spock's lips were hot and bruising. Jim returned his fervor with equal passion with his tongue on the tip of Spock's ear. Spock gasped at the touch and ground his hips against Jim's erection. Jim moaned as they rubbed their hard lengths together. Still it was not enough. More was needed. More friction. More intimacy. _Deeper._ Their katras sang together a primal song.

Jim leaned back on the bed and spread his legs for Spock. He bent down and smelled the source of the pheromones that had been calling him the moment Jim stepped on board. The sweet nectar from his womb sang to the most primitive part of Spock's mind. Spock looked into Jim's eyes and whispered in the ancient tongue of his people, “I claim thee, my t'hy'la. As my forefathers have before me, I claim thee and I cherish thee.”

Jim smiled and replied, “I am yours, my t'hy'la. You are the other half of my heart, and my soul, you are mine. Never parted, always touching.”

Words said between the few and far between t'hy'la pairs. With one agonizing slow thrust Spock entered Jim and joined them physically. Spock's breath was ragged, it was only feeling Jim's pain at being stretched so fully for the first time that he gave pause and only a brief one. Jim was so tight and fit so perfectly around him, his hole was gushing with that heady perfume that sent him into a near Pon Farr state.

Jim's heels pressed into his back encouraging him to move. Spock gladly obliged and rammed in and out at brutal pace with Jim eagerly meeting each frenzied thrust. Jim clawed at his back crying out wordless moans of pleasure. Spock pressed his teeth into Jim's neck, not quite breaking skin, but enough to leave his mark, all the while rutting with Jim like an animal and his beloved lapped it all up happily. Somewhere in the frenzied haze of mindless lust and passion Jim's word rang through, “Spock! Meld us!”

Instinctively Spock's hands instinctively found their way to Jim's psi points on either side of his face and he dove into Jim's mind without any premise. Jim's mind was as welcoming and open to Spock like the hole his lok was blissfully penetrating. Nerves connected and seared with ecstasy. Spock and Jim were fully lost into one another as a single entity with two backs replaced them. Sparks set their minds ablaze with pleasure and both of them trembled in their passionate embrace as they rode their climax out together.

Some awareness returned. Spock felt his ridges swelling as Jim's hole was firmly clamped around it. They were knotted. Jim panted as he felt his semen sticking their stomachs together. He rolled them over so Jim was on top of Spock, and still his body was shaking with the aftershocks of their powerful orgasm. “God Spock, that was amazing!”

Spock agreed. “Indeed.”

Spock gasped as more pleasure built up. His lok was firmly locked in place and he weakly thrust again as he spilled more of his hot seed into Jim. His mate's body greedily milked every single drop from him. “Jim... I desire to make you fat with my seed.”

Jim shook in Spock's arms as another orgasm ripped through him, clutching at Spock tightly. “Spock! Yes! Fuck yes! Fuck!”

As they came down from another high, Jim smiled at Spock. “God, I've never felt that before...” Jim paused and moved his hips and realized that his hole wouldn't let go of Spock's cock. “Are we stuck?”

Spock pressed his lips against the shell of Jim's ear. “Yes. We are knotted. I will spill multiple more times into you. You did state that you wished me to fuck you so hard that your hole will leak my semen for a week. Your words.”

Jim's eyes widen. “Seriously?!”

Spock's smile was like the le-matya's after it caught dinner. “Vulcan females are rarely sexually receptive. Males evolved to take advantage of every moment their mate becomes fertile.”

“Holy shit. Spock! What if I have monthly cycle like human?”

The thought never occurred to Spock. Vulcan females only became receptive a handful of time in a seven year cycle and became forcefully receptive when their male bondmates went into Pon Farr. To experience this pleasure _each month_ was a dizzying prospect. “I will not fail to mate with you and I happily submit my body for your sexual use.”

Jim giggled. “So whenever I feel horny I can just dig your Vulcan cock out and ride it like no tomorrow?”

Spock chirped almost cheerfully. “Affirmative. You are my husband, it is my duty to sexually please you.”

Jim grinned. “It goes both ways. If you ever get the urge you can just shove it in, even if I'm sleeping. Hell, I think that'd be a wonderful wake up call... Husband.”

Hearing Jim call him husband made Spock come yet again and Jim felt a hot flood fill him. Jim gasped as his body trembled and his womb sucked up every drop of Spock's seed. “How long is this going to last?”

Spock nuzzled into Jim's neck. “Twenty minutes to an hour.”

“Holy fuck!” Jim grinned. “Shit! This is so hot!”

Spock moaned. “Indeed.”

Jim paused in thought. “Hey if we do have kids... Would you still think I'm hot when I'm fat and pregnant?”

Spock blinked and looked up at Jim. An image of his t'hy'la's belly round and swollen with _his child_. Spock let out a possessive growl and gave Jim a passionate and almost bruising kiss. Jim was taken off guard by Spock sudden spike of passion as Spock rolled them over. Jim gasped. “Holy shit! I think that's a big yes!”

Spock pounded away into his mate with renewed vigor and sucked at the bruised flesh of his neck. A primal savagery took hold and Jim embraced this beast Spock kept chained most of the time. Spock purred into Jim's ear, “You will be _exquisite_ fat and swollen with my child!”

Jim screamed Spock name and was sent careening over the edge over and over and lost count the number of times Spock spilled into him. It was fifty-one minutes before Spock was able to pull out with a wet sounding pop. By then Jim was a mushy happy puddle on his bed with the biggest smile on his face. Spock collapsed beside his t'hy'la... his bondmate. Spock could not stop the smile on his own face. His emotional controls were completely shot and yet he did not feel like a feral animal. He instead felt relieved, dizzy with happiness. He felt too exhausted to speak and their thoughts flowed freely into each other. _“So this is what is referred to as 'Marital Bliss'. I find it... wonderful.”_

Jim turned to face Spock. _“You're smiling! Like a really big one!”_

Spock laughed. _“Yes. I feel happy.”_

Jim cuddled next to him. _“I can feel it. You're still inside me, more than ever.”_

Spock curled his fingers against Jim, basking in the pleasant buzz between them. _“The link between our minds has ripened and matured. The pathway widened further by our act of physical intimacy. We are fully bonded now.”_

The image of Spock pounding away at Jim's hole surfaced in Spock's mind. It came from Jim. The mental echo of his laughter rang through their connection. _“So you really penetrated that last barrier between us.”_

Spock groaned. _“A vulgar but apt description.”_

“ _Seriously Spock, I think you blasted my virginity into a thousand pieces.”_

Spock felt a spark of pride. It must of shown because Jim laughed. _“Jim. There are other ways of sexual intercourse that we have not engaged in yet.”_

“ _Oh shit, you're right! Spock we check off everything before they drop me off Vulcan!”_

Spock felt a sobering moment. They would be together for only month before they must separate temporarily by Spock's duties to Starfleet and Jim's need to finish his education on Vulcan. Jim squeezed his hand. _“So after you serve your three year mission on the Enterprise... Any plans?”_

Spock paused. He had considered a few options. _“I had considered taking a post at the academy teaching. They are desperate for a Vulcan teacher for computer programming and all the dialects of my people.”_

Glancing down at Jim's semen coated stomach he was reminded of the spark of life that he could easily place in his mate. A stomach that could easily swell and grow with his child. The thought almost rose life back into his lok to claim Jim again... To make sure he succeeded in filling this beautiful creature with his seed. Jim weakly nudged him. _“Hey, quit that! I'm sore and your testicles have to be empty by now. I'm pretty sure that in the morning if I don't take that pill your wish for a Spock jr will come true. The Doc said I was fully functional and going through a heat.”_

Spock found the idea of a child with Jim had merit and began to think of logical reasons to have one. _“Mother will rejoice at the idea of a grandchild. Father will be glad by the continuation of his bloodline and any child Jim produces with him has a ninety-nine point nine percent chance of being adorable and most precious...”_

Jim nudged Spock again with a little more force. His voice was still hoarse from screaming Spock's name over and over in the last hour. “Hey! After I graduate at least!”

Jim paused at the image of pointy eared babies with Jim's eyes that Spock was conjuring. _“Okay they would be freaking adorable. Well, if the birth control fails before your mission is over I won't be completely put out. I mean, we'll only get to have sex a handful of times before you decide to settle on Earth for teaching position, right? I mean what are the chances that with the high quality birth control they put out these days that I get pregnant?”_

Spock agreed. _“Quite low. We can decide on children when I have less mobile post.”_

Jim yawn and started to doze off. Spock soon joined him. He would inform his parents in the morning of their change in relationship and hold a wedding feast. No doubt with the rescue of Jim from Tarsus the clan would welcome Captain Pike and the crew for a welcome celebration. When Spock's three years on his mission are over, he could request to take a teaching position and fill Jim up with his children. The thought of coming home everyday to his pregnant t'hy'la and children that called him “Sa-Mekh” was greatly appealing. Spock dozed off dreaming of the first time he laid eyes on Jim, that moment a stork delivered his t'hy'la to him. Spock's eyes snapped open. “Wait, storks are native to Europe and parts of Africa, not San Francisco.”

Jim grumbled, “Go back to sleep Spock.”

Spock yawned. “Yes, Jim. Goodnight, my t'hy'la.”

Jim smiled and cuddled closer to Spock. “Goodnight, t'hy'la.”

 

* * *

 

Far away in the furthest reaches of the galaxy, two beings looked on at the scene of the two united lovers dreaming of each other through a window in space and time. One of them, an aged Vulcan, turned to the other being and said, “I did say my young counterpart would notice eventually, Q.”

Q rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You're more insufferable than Picard. Honestly, Spock, it took yourself, what? Fifteen years to notice? I'd call that pretty subtle, and here you said I wasn't capable of it.”

Spock raised a brow. “And the shuttle you put on Tarsus? USS Stork? I surmise it will take far less time for them to realize that it is also a fabrication.”

Q groaned. “What more do you want from me?! I already altered that god awful Kelvin timeline! Nero was killed by his own people right after he appeared. Vulcan and your mother will not be destroyed in that artificial singularity. The Romulan Republic that formed after Romulus sun goes nova may form sooner, and hey! You and Captain Kirk got to meet at an early age and the two of you will be able to populate the galaxy with your Spirk spawn!”

Q preened. “I'd call that a job well done, Q. I'd like to see you do better, and besides, so what if they discover some discrepancies? It'll be one of those mysteries that never gets solved.”

Spock shrugged. “I wish Jim did not have to suffer so.”

“Can't change that. Tarsus was one of those fixed points. Without it, he doesn't become the great Captain Kirk the multiverse designed him to be. If you want to make a complaint, take it up with Big G himself.”

Two grey eyebrows shot up. “Big G? Do you refer to God? As in the all powerful entity described in many religions?”

Q smirked. “His friends just call him Gene. At any rate, do you have any other criticisms on my work of fixing this broken timeline and keeping reality and the time-space continuum from falling like ton of bricks?”

Spock's lips twitched. “Just this: mind your p's and q's.”

Q's mouth opened and snapped shut, but only for a moment before he opened it again. “Be still my beating heart! Was that a joke? From Ambassador Spock? The universe's biggest pointy-eared killjoy?”

Spock pretended he didn't know what Q was talking about. “I was using a human metaphor in relation to the discrepancies and lack of subtlety of your behavior.”

Q huffed. “Well, I guess there's no pleasing some people. I'm beginning to feel underappreciated.”

Spock's eyes warmed at the scene of Jim curling closer to his young counterpart and mumbling nonsense about “yummy Vulcan marshmallows” while sucking on young Spock's ears in his sleep. “I thank you, Q for the commendable work you have done here.”

Q preened. “Well, I can't take all the credit. Delivering baby Kirk to yourself via a Stork was your idea. Making him able to pop out an army of pointy eared babies for you is my gift... and curse to you.”

Spock took a deep breath. “He will certainly have his hands full. I almost envy the experience and pleasure he shall experience... but to be jealous of myself would be illogical.”

Q grinned. “Shall I render Kirk's birth control ineffective?”

Spock mused on that. “Wait until his next shore leave with Jim.”

Q laughed manically. “Just call me Mr. Stork.”

 

The End... for now

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its saddens me and it bring me relief to say here is the last chapter of this fic. First, I'd like to thank everyone for encouraging me and keeping me writing. For this chapter a special shoutout to Tishbing for somehow guessing a good chunk of my plot outline and reminding me of Lexorin's existence. I'm so happy to every one of you for reading my fic. Thank you!
> 
> I will be taking a break to work on some original fiction (publishing ain't easy folks) and finishing up Souvenir From Vulcan. Then I'll work on the very last in this series with Professor Spock in the academy and Cadet Kirk and their Spirk baby. I will also be taking a poll for names for their Spirk baby. I was thinking Solkar, Stork, or both with Solkar as his legal name and Stork as a cute nickname, or maybe even something else! Please tell me in the comment section below.
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading! You're all so awesome!


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